How an Indian tea seller became a celebrated author

Laxman Rao continues to sit on a Delhi street to sell chai and his 25 books

NEW DELHI — On a scorching Saturday afternoon, tea seller Laxman Rao sits on the sidewalk of a busy road in New Delhi with two pots of chai boiling on a stove in front of him. But what catches the eyes of people walking by is the stack of books beside him.

As a few stopped by and picked up the books, Rao, 71, proudly introduced himself as the author.

Though there are thousands of tea sellers in New Delhi, Rao is different. Thanks to his books, which now count 25, he has earned a name for himself. Not only the workers and students who pass by, but people across India have come to know him. A banner at his stall shows him standing with former Indian President Pratibha Patil.

Rao’s books are based on his life and stories he has heard from his customers. Some focus on societal issues like violence and gender.

His first novel, “Nai Duniya Ki Nai Kahani,” which translates as “New Story of This World,” was based on the real-life story of a boy who drowned in his village when he was a child. Another is based on the fictionalized life story of an ordinary girl who used to frequent his tea stall. 

His down-to-earth novels resonate with readers. Rakesh Kumar, a graduate student of Hindi literature, said he enjoys reading Rao’s works because they provide a common man’s perspective on Indian society and culture. “These books are not written in posh rooms and cafes. Rao’s stories, ideas and thoughts emanate from his roots — a struggling lower-middle-class father [and] a hardworking tea seller,” Kumar said.

Rao was born in a small village in the state of Maharashtra in 1952. After he passed 10th grade, he quit school and started working at a spinning mill. The mill shut in a few years, so he moved to Madhya Pradesh for a farming job and then to New Delhi in the 1970s to work as a menial laborer.

During these years, Rao found an interest in novels and dreamed of becoming a novelist. But his poverty pushed that dream to a corner. In 1978, he set up a cigarette stall on one of the busiest roads in New Delhi.

Despite the struggle to make a living, Rao carved out time to write. Once he had written enough to shape his writing into a novel, he started sending letters to publishers. But no one responded.

After two years, one publisher responded and asked him to bring his book along.

Rao was excited. “I had a fresh manuscript ready,” he recalled. “When I reached his office, he had me thrown out — he had pranked me. He mocked me.”

The incident made Rao realize that if he wanted to see his dream come true, he needed to do it himself. In 1979, he self-published his first novel.

He started selling the book at his cigarette stall. Gradually, as he published more, his books spread via word of mouth. In 1993, he set up a bigger roadside stall to sell tea along with cigarettes and books. Since then, the stall has become his correspondence address.

Today, his books can also be found in bookshops in Delhi. He has sold nearly 40,000 copies. He still self-publishes and now does his own editing which he used to have professional editors help out. 

His writings and his commitment to write have catapulted him to fame and earned him awards like the Bhartiya Anuvad Parishad, presented by the Translators’ Association of India.

In 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi hosted him at Teen Murti Bhawan, the former residence of the first prime minister of India. In 2009, President Pratibha Patil invited him to her residence.

But Rao is not yet satisfied. He wants to be known beyond his home country. “I want my books to reach different parts of the world. People will like my books, and I might as well earn a little out of that,” Rao said.

With the help of professional translators, he has started translating his books from Hindi into English to capture a wider readership. Two have been translated so far.

Rao said he was always inspired by the writings of celebrated novelist and screenwriter Gulshan Nanda, who made prolific contributions to the Hindi film industry in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Delhi was never my home. I came to Delhi to become Gulshan Nanda, but now my dream is to become Shakespeare,” Rao said.

He strives to improve his writing. Though his schooling had stopped when he began to work at the spinning mill, he resumed it later in life. At the age of 40, he passed 12th grade. When he was 50, he finished his bachelor’s degree. And at 63, he earned his master’s degree in Hindi literature.

Now Rao does teaching himself. Since 2017, he has been conducting workshops in different parts of New Delhi where young aspiring writers come to learn the craft from him.

The Shangri-La hotel in New Delhi has invited Rao to deliver lectures and make tea. He is often seen at the luxury hotel interacting with guests who are keen to hear his story. He also delivers lectures at gatherings on Hindu literature.

Despite his fame and achievements, Rao remains humble. The Indian author Neelesh Kulkarni told Nikkei Asia about when he first met Rao at the tea stall six years ago.

“At first sight, it was difficult to believe that this frail diminutive man was the celebrity I had been looking for,” he said. “Still, the pictures of him with the president and other leaders … convinced me it was him.”

Kulkarni said there was justifiable pride in Rao’s voice when he recounted how he beat the odds to emerge as a successful author. “I recently took my grandson to see him to understand real bravery,” Kulkarni said.

Rao’s life took a turn when he decided to self-publish his first novel. He does not scoff at the idea of self-publishing, like many of his counterparts do. For him, it is the story and the writing that should matter, not who published it. “I succeeded because I believed my writing was good and the story important,” Rao said. “I did not wait for the publishers’ nod.”

In life, he says, you need to make the first move. “Everything else follows.”

(Source:https://asia.nikkei.com/)