When
Jassi
marries
James Bond!
In the world of online fan fiction, one can give free rein to one's imagination. Virtually anything is possible in these plots, discovers Harsh Kabra
AS Harry Potter awaits the killing curse from the Death Eater, a sudden shot kills the dark wizard. Just then, Harry's saviour steps into the room and introduces himself as Bondβ¦James Bond." This is none of JK Rowling's money-spinning imagination. Instead, the brain behind this spin to the adventures of the Potterverse gang is an inveterate Potter fan. Welcome to the world of fan fiction (fanfic), where characters and settings from popular works form the scaffolding for new stories.
Such fantastical postulations of "what could have been" date back to the times of Hamlet and Don Quixote. Now, the Web has galvanised a new β and more prolific β generation of fanfic writers. From FictionAlley.org to FanFiction.net, cyberspace is teeming with fan creations. "It's one of the occupational hazards of the IT age, so it's best we accept it," says author and academician Dr R Raj Rao. "It may actually have its positive side, because rather than read a text passively, readers are now actively engaging with it."
The virtual world has added to the diversity of fanfic with yarns woven around everything from time travel to male pregnancy. If being subversive is the flavour of our times, the Internet is the best place to savour it: Here, the unlikeliest of multiple liaisons between unrelated characters rub shoulders with straight characters pursuing alternative sexualities. More than rabid, these are about being vocal.
"As the New Critics said," reminds Dr Rao, "all literature has an autonomous existence once it is published and the umbilical cord with the author is severed. May be in the past readers relied on a literary text critically in the form of academic books and theses, and now they're beginning to do so creatively." According to publishing and copyright expert Debashis Kanungo, original authors no longer abhor fanfic. "It is not just a measure of acceptance and popularity, but also a tool of promotion. What can be more flattering than to see your words spark a craving for more?"
Even the turf of Indian telly soaps now stands pervaded by fanfic. One can also find e-awards for Indian fanfic writers in
categories ranging from the best storyline, script, and comedy, to the best Sujal-Kashish and Jai-Bani fanfics, named so after popular small-screen characters. One of the recent stories on offer here involves twin siblings of Angad and Kripa from the serial Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai. "Imagine seeing two Angads and two Kripas, how unbelievable would that be," exclaims the author. "Many people learn the craft from writing fanfic," says Arpita, a Mumbai-based collegian, who has made a stab at marrying off Jassi into the Virani family.
One may assume this is ye t
another of
the teenage
fads the Net
abounds in. However, a quick survey of the Indian contributors on these sites reveals that people, ranging from suburban mothers to retired government officials, are partaking of the fun. "I often write short pieces in the world of online role-playing games," admits Haunting KK, 35, who refuses to divulge his real name. "Fan fiction is a superb way to get through writer's block," says 48-year-old Madelyn (online alias), a Bangalore-based freelance writer.
"Many people who write such stories are introverted and lack confidence," says psychologist Hema Kayappurath from Chennai. "They get their kicks from others reading and commenting upon their stuff. It is emotionally gratifying because you escape to a world you can control completely." Citing the instance of blogs, Dr Rao opines that the Internet is indeed making people 'put pen to paper'. "What the quality of the writing is I can't say, but it sure is gratifying that people are shaking themselves out of their lethargy," he concludes.
Are they talking abt da fic...mixed doubles??π......Fanfics surely rock...π..i think it shd be party time for all those writers.....its so nice their work is appreciated..π