Episode 014 – Shiva Kumar

15/10/2025 1h 9min
Episode 014 – Shiva Kumar

Listen "Episode 014 – Shiva Kumar"

Episode Synopsis

In our 14th episode, we welcome the multitalented actor, author, and filmmaker Shiva Kumar! We speak with Shiva about The Lanka Chronicles, growing up in different countries, his childhood as an “outsider”, going to boarding school, his first forays into directing in Bhutan, how a health crisis started him on the writing path, his documentaries on the Holocaust, how he was inspired by Zelazny’s Lord of Light, Indofuturism, how he was interested in working heroes from Indian myths into his fiction, India’s role in the future of humanity, his science fictional retelling of the Ramayana, how acting and writing affects his writing, his thoughts on AI, writing dialog for a screenplay vs. novels, why coffee cups are always empty and no one ever eats food on a plate in TV and film, playing the Prime Minister of Pakistan and head of the Pakistani Secret Service, how acting translates into inhabiting characters in fiction, writing villains, his writing process, writing during stressful periods, doing what he loves, dealing with rejection as an actor, his experience at Appalachian State University, how it takes time to understand the human condition, narrating his own audiobook, and lots more!
Books Mentioned
The Lanka Chronicles by Shiva Kumar – https://www.amazon.com/stores/Shiva-Kumar/author/B0993XCG5P
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny – https://bookshop.org/p/books/lord-of-light-roger-zelazny/c41678bf1dbdd1a7?ean=9780060567231&next=t