Khushwant Singh

First Menaka Gandhi, now Neelam Mahajan Singh. When is it going to stop ? Will this cramp your style ?
No it won't. I think I will win both the court cases.

Do you think court intervention is merited ?
I don't think so. I would rather not express any opinion on this. The matter is sub-judice.

Have you ever been tempted to take anyone to court for libel ?
I have been a lawyer. I want to stay as far away as possible from courts and lawyers.

By writing about friends, could you be said to feed off them.
I am no vulture.

What accounts for the lack of similar writing on you by your friends or are you perfect ?
No Idea. People have said a lot of things. Now there is this book, A Man Called Khushwant Singh. Derogatory stuff. People are free to say what they like.

What makes you think that the whole world is interested in Sadia Dehlvi ?
I never said so.

Are women drawn to you by the promise of your granting them immorality through your writings?
That's unfair to them.

You hyped Indrani Aikath Gyaltsen who proved to be a plagiarist. Was that a pie in your face ?
It was. I felt let down.

Do you think Indians are too thin-skinned?
Yes. The margin of tolerance is getting narrower. We have examples of Usha Uthup and Samantha Fox being banned in Calcutta. If youn write anything about Bal Thackeray your books are burnt in Bombay. What kind of people are these ?

What's the next salvo you are firing ?
I am firing no salvo. I didn't fire this one either. I was taken totally by surprise.