'I don't see pure milk-and-honey goodness in the poor'

Journalist Manu Joseph's debut novel Serious Men is about an extremely intelligent but crooked man whose obsession is to make his son be known as the first Dalit genius. He works in a science institute that is top heavy with Brahmins. The story is about whether Ayyan Mani manages to convince the world that his son is a genius, and what role Arvind Acharya, the science institute's chief, plays in it. Joseph, who takes over as editor of the year-old Open magazine in August, grew up in a Brahmin neighbourhood in Chennai, and spent two years in a Mumbai [ Images ] chawl. The book is full of sharp observations from these two worlds. In this interview with Rediff.com's Krishnakumar Padmanabhan, he speaks about 'very smart Dalit males', absent-minded scientists, and how different literature is from journalistic writing.

For a Christian who grew up in a Brahmin neighbourhood, how was it getting into the head of a Dalit character?
As a journalist I have met several Dalit men, many times for stories that have nothing to do with Dalits. I was always aware of a particular kind of a very smart Dalit male and the way he thinks or at least the way I think he things.

Also, when I first came to Bombay I lived in a chawl for two-and-a-half years. There I met some men whose views are very similar to Ayyan's. But the fundamental angst of Ayyan Mani and his perception of the world, life and science is my conjecture, my creation.

You mentioned 'very smart Dalit male'. What sets him apart?
What sets him apart is that he is a mathematical probability. In a set of so many people, one will be exceptional irrespective of culture, family background or upbringing.That anomaly is Ayyan Mani. He is not a product of his own culture. He is a freak, in a way. I say that about Ayyan Mani even though some of his traits are borrowed from the men I used to know.

Full interview here Rediff