Vikas Swarup Quotes

Powerful Vikas Swarup for Daily Growth

About Vikas Swarup

Vikas Swarup, born on September 15, 1967, in New Delhi, India, is a renowned Indian author who gained international fame with his debut novel "Q & A," which was later adapted into the Academy Award-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire." Swarup's early life was marked by a passion for literature. He worked as a press officer at the Indian High Commission in London from 1989 to 2001, where he honed his writing skills and gained insights into the intricacies of political diplomacy. This experience would later influence his writing, particularly in "Six Suspects," a novel that delves into the world of international politics and espionage. Inspired by the spirit of India's underdogs, Swarup's works often explore themes of survival, resilience, and the power of chance. His debut novel, "Q & A" (2005), tells the story of a young orphan who becomes a contestant on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The book was a critical success and won the Genie Award for Fiction Book of the Year. Swarup's other notable works include "The Man Who Invented Himself" (2009), a novel about an Indian man who impersonates a long-dead British poet, and "An Obedient Father" (2014), a story that delves into the complexities of India's caste system. His latest work, "Cocktail Stories," is a collection of short stories that explores the themes of love, relationships, and identity. Vikas Swarup continues to write compelling narratives that reflect the complexity of modern India, merging real-life situations with elements of suspense, humor, and romance. His works have been translated into over 40 languages, making him one of India's most internationally acclaimed authors.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

The quote suggests that instead of passively waiting for events to unfold, one should actively shape their own destiny. In other words, rather than trying to guess what will happen in the future, it's more productive to take control and make deliberate decisions to achieve desired outcomes. This implies a proactive approach to life where individuals create opportunities, pursue goals, and build the future they desire instead of leaving it to chance or external circumstances.


"Circumstances rule the day, but character determines the outcome."

This quote suggests that while external circumstances play a significant role in shaping our immediate experiences (i.e., they "rule the day"), it's one's character – their inherent traits, values, and resilience – that ultimately determines the long-term outcome or end result of those experiences. In other words, despite the challenges we face, it's not just about how we weather the storm, but also about who we are and how we respond to adversity that defines our ultimate success or failure.


"You're not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a single drop."

This quote by Vikas Swarup underscores the inherent uniqueness and potential within each individual. The ocean, vast and endless, symbolizes the collective human experience, while a single drop represents an individual. Despite being small and seemingly insignificant, each drop contains all elements of the ocean - its essence, power, complexity, and beauty. In essence, every person holds the entire universe within them and has the capacity to make significant impact in their own unique way, just as a single drop can have profound effects on the ocean.


"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

This quote by Vikas Swarup conveys resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. Just as an airplane must fight against the wind to take off, we too may encounter challenges or setbacks in our lives. However, these obstacles do not define us, but rather serve as opportunities for growth and progress. Embrace the struggles, push forward, and remember that every challenge overcome will propel you further towards your goals.


"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

This quote emphasizes personal agency and responsibility in shaping one's life. Rather than passively waiting for self-discovery, we are encouraged to actively create our identities and destinies. It suggests that the power to define who we are lies within us, and it is through the choices we make, the experiences we seek, and the values we embrace that we ultimately construct ourselves. This perspective encourages proactivity, resilience, and self-empowerment in the face of life's challenges.


I am the luckiest novelist in the world. I was a first-time novelist who wasn't awash in rejection slips, whose manuscript didn't disappear in slush piles. I have had a wonderful time.

- Vikas Swarup

Wonderful, Disappear, Had, First-Time

The slums are not a place of despair. Its inhabitants are all working towards a better life.

- Vikas Swarup

Better, Better Life, Slums

Just because someone has gone to an elite school and college does not make him smarter than the person who has grown up on street knowledge.

- Vikas Swarup

College, Him, Gone, Smarter

I am neither a Bengali nor am I from Delhi's St Stephen's. I am an Allahabad boy.

- Vikas Swarup

I Am, Nor, Neither, Delhi

People don't just want a mindless flick with a superstar; they want to connect more deeply.

- Vikas Swarup

Want, More, Superstar, Mindless

Tokyo may have more money and Kyoto more culture; Nara may have more history and Kobe more style. But Osaka has the biggest heart.

- Vikas Swarup

More, May, Kyoto, Kobe

India may be the soul of world cricket, but IPL is its commercial heart. Just as 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' changed the ground rules for quiz shows by injecting a massive dose of money into the equation, IPL has changed the dynamics of the cricket economy.

- Vikas Swarup

Soul, Rules, Commercial, Dose

I am very interested in human-interest stories emerging from modern India. I get my inspiration and daily dose by reading the 'Hindustan Times.'

- Vikas Swarup

Reading, Very, Stories, Dose

For me, the day job comes first. That's why I call myself a diplomat who writes, not a writer who masquerades as a diplomat. If the day job demands it, I won't write at all. I write in what I call 'the crevices of my day job', and that comes only on weekends.

- Vikas Swarup

Why, Weekends, I Write, Writes

Knowledge is not just the preserve of the educated elite. Just because someone has not had a formal education, that does not mean he does not have wisdom and common sense.

- Vikas Swarup

Education, Sense, Had, Common Sense

Indian writers have appropriated English as an Indian language, and that gives a certain freshness to the way we write.

- Vikas Swarup

Language, English, Writers, Indian

It is in the genes of cities to bounce back from disasters - whether natural or man made. The denizens of suburbia have no choice but to survive and move on. But it is the manner in which different cities respond to emergencies that sets them apart.

- Vikas Swarup

Back, Bounce, No Choice, To Survive

My books are about ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations who are able to draw upon their inner reserves to challenge the status-quo in life and navigate compelling human relationships.

- Vikas Swarup

About, Placed, Compelling, Ordinary Situations

The fight against international terrorism isn't just a fight against a bunch of misguided extremists; it is a fight to defend the values that we hold dear.

- Vikas Swarup

Values, Against, Extremists, International

All I can say is that I am not one of those writers who want 100% of their book in the film. I recognize that film is a different medium and the filmmaker must have the right to bring some new elements to the table, provided the soul of the book is preserved.

- Vikas Swarup

Book, Soul, Some, Table

Twenty20 is cricket on speed. In an era of hectic lifestyles and falling attention spans, it gives spectators more drama and intensity in three hours that they would get from a whole-day match. And even though it is a heady cocktail of money, entertainment and media, at its core it is cricket.

- Vikas Swarup

Media, Three, Entertainment, Lifestyles

Writing is a very lonely occupation. To write you need to concentrate, to concentrate you need to lock yourself away. No distractions; you want your stream of thought uninterrupted.

- Vikas Swarup

Away, Very, Occupation, Concentrate

My books may highlight corruption, brutality and venality, but they also show that if these things come to light, there is rectification. The voiceless do have a voice; democratic mechanisms and accountability do exist.

- Vikas Swarup

Voice, Show, May, Voiceless

I write fast. But it takes me a while to get going. It's very important for me to see my whole plot. I have to see the end first because I like a surprise in the end. Which is why I let characters and plot gestate in my mind.

- Vikas Swarup

Why, Very, I Write, In The End

I get invited to many more literary festivals than I used to because I'm associated with 'Slumdog Millionaire,' the brand. Many more doors have opened up for me as a result of the global success of the film, although I believe that I'm the same person that existed before it.

- Vikas Swarup

Festivals, Before, Literary, Brand

The first thing you have to understand is that I was not desperate to be a writer. I was never a closet writer filing away notes in a cupboard.

- Vikas Swarup

Away, Desperate, Notes, Cupboard

I did not go to any creative writing workshop; I did not major in literature. If I can write, anyone can write. All it needs is imagination.

- Vikas Swarup

Go, Needs, Workshop, Creative Writing

I think mobility is very important, not only to discover opportunities elsewhere but at times, also to appreciate better what your home town has. Allahabad, for instance, has the feel of a small, tightly-knit community where everyone participates.

- Vikas Swarup

Small, Mobility, Very, Home Town

I want to show that the underdog can win. I believe we're all the same: you, a slum girl, my mother.

- Vikas Swarup

Underdog, Want, Show, Slum

I became completely addicted to 'Angry Birds' for a while.

- Vikas Swarup

Angry, Birds, Became, Addicted

I am not into the unrealistic realm of magic realism where birds talk.

- Vikas Swarup

I Am, Magic, Unrealistic, Realism

I don't look at myself as a writer; I am a storyteller.

- Vikas Swarup

Myself, I Am, Writer, Storyteller

Global terror does not respect national boundaries.

- Vikas Swarup

Boundaries, Does, National, Terror

The writer's is an interior world, a world of the mind.

- Vikas Swarup

Mind, World, Writer, Interior

I'm the opposite of those writers who believe that my work is sacrosanct and cannot be touched.

- Vikas Swarup

Work, Opposite, Cannot, Touched

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