Dilip Lorung is a Nepali-language writer, poet, lyricist, and actor from Darjeeling in West Bengal, India. In this interview he talks about his passion for the written word, poetry, and the impact his writing has made in the community.
Writing has been your passion for so long. How did it start?
Since my childhood – from around the age of 14 – I used to read and listen to my older brother’s poems. I was really fascinated by his poetry. He used to be a very promising young poet then who still writes even today at the age of 72.
You have written in so many genres. Which do you favour at the moment?
Yes, I have tried my hand at different genres, almost all! But I love to work with lyrics the most.
Why is that?
Why? Firstly, because it is much in demand and my lyrical works have been requested by numerous Indian musicians, singers, and movie producers. And secondly, I personally feel that a song coupled with its music can express the exact feelings that I have desired to express in my words.
Why did you make the transition from prose to poetry?
These days, my real focus is in poetry because in this fast paced world that we live in, people hardly have time to read prose or long stories. Due to its preciseness and structure, poetry has emerged as a special literary form through which I can express feelings or send a message to my readers. In poetry, even a complicated concept can be expressed in just a few words or lines.
You post your poems on Facebook on a daily basis. How are your poems received in the community?
Initially, when I started, very few people liked or followed my post as I was a newcomer on Facebook and had only couple of “friends”. But later on, as I kept on posting my work, people from Darjeeling started taking notice and my readership increased day by day. Since then, the number of readers has multiplied drastically and I have been receiving countless positive responses and messages of appreciations.
Thanks to Facebook, I have been able to post as many poems as I like while publications in newspaper, magazines or other more traditional media outlets remains very limited.
What topics do you write about?
My literary works are based mainly on the reformation of society, community, culture, and language. I like to write on injustice, suffering, awareness, rationality, basic human values, and concepts that carry good morals.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
As a writer, my readers are my inspiration. Those who follow my posts on Facebook and express their views on my work matter to me a lot. But, most importantly, my family is a constant source of inspiration, especially my wife Laxmi Lorung who has been like a backbone for me.
Why do you write only in Nepali?
I prefer to write only in Nepali for three reasons. First, because it’s my mother tongue! I love and respect my native language as it’s the first language that I learnt from my mother.
Second, I feel proud of my language as it’s one of the richest languages in the world. My wish is to introduce Nepali to the world so that more people can appreciate its richness.
And the last reason would be that my English is not perfect…
The poetry YouTube videos you have produced are very expressive. What’s your favourite means of expression?
I prefer to recite my poems in my own voice along with visuals so that people can both see my facial expression and listen to my voice. In my opinion, it’s a great way to experience the Nepali language.
What are your publishing plans for the near future?
I have several plans for future: to write short poems on symbolic photographs that I take by myself in Darjeeling or are produced by my son, Bashu Rai; to write scripts for dramas and films; and to continue working on the visualization of my lyrics.
Watch Dilip Lorung recite a poem on the beach in Pattaya, Thailand:
