Interview with Jasveer Singh Dangi
Author of ShahenShah: Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror
Jasveer Singh Dangi embodies a diverse tapestry of talents—author, podcast host, behavioral trainer, and esteemed health and safety professional hailing from Canada. What began as an unforeseen journey into writing in 2018 with his poignant childhood memoir, Version One and a Half (Version 1 ½), swiftly burgeoned into a prolific career marked by nine published books and two collaborative works.
He recently started his journey in the world of cinema as a Producer of a short film titled ‘Yes Sir’. The film, themed around caste bias, has been exceptionally well-received and featured in over twenty film festivals worldwide. It was third runner-up at the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards (DPIFF), 2024, in the Best Short Film category.
Despite his self-professed label as an accidental author, Jasveer’s literary prowess has garnered widespread acclaim, punctuated by a string of accolades and recognition.
- His magnum opus, The Hunter Genesis – Book 1, found its place among the coveted list of summer must-reads by esteemed platforms like ANI Asia, Jio News, and Zee5.
- He was featured in the list of Top 19 most unique writers of 2023 by INKZOID Foundation.
- He was recognized as the author of the Year in Fiction and Non-Fiction category by Ukiyoto Publishing for his book Ensemble – A collection of short stories and essays.
- Hailed as one of the 10 Indian Authors Redefining Modern Literature by Kathmandu Tribune in January, 2020.
- He was recognized by Ne8X with Sahitya Kosh Samman Award in Literature.
- In 2019, Literature Light recognized him as one of the top 100 debut authors for his debut book, Version One and a Half (Version 1 ½).
- He was named as the ‘Author of the Fest’ at the Writing Wizards Fest 2020 for his book, Double One Zero (110) - Out of the shadows. The Writing Wizards Fest is an initiative by The Twilight of Poem (www. twilightofpoem.in).
Beyond the realms of writing, he’s earned commendations for his contributions to health and safety training, further cementing his multifaceted expertise. In 2018, he was awarded by IISSM for his contributions towards the Health and Safety Training domain.
Jasveer loves the outdoors and is a big movie buff, which is quite evident given the use of quotes and songs from movies at strategic places in all his books. He is an avid observer of his surroundings and uses characters and instances from everyday situations for his stories. His works include:
- The Hunter Genesis - Whatever it is, wherever it is, he will find it (Book 1 of the Hunter series),
- The Essence of Ganga – The Story of Mandakini,
- Ensemble – A collection of short stories and essays,
- The Incredible Mr. Sweets – A coming-of-age story of an ex-con who finds his calling in life through music,
- Shahenshah – The story of Shrenik Shah, the cancer conqueror,
- The Metro-Maniac Chronicles - Through the eyes of an Obsessive-Compulsive Metro-Maniac,
- Double One Zero (110) – Out of the Shadows,
- Diary from Heaven - Confessions of an Eternal Junkie,
- Version One and a Half (Version 1 ½) - A glimpse of India in the ‘80s,
- Concealed Words (Co-Author), and
- Life – A culmination of stories (Co-Author).
He also shares his thoughts on www.storymirror.com, www. medium.com, www.merrative.com, #jasveersinghdangi (Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook). His podcast is available on his website - www.jasveersinghdangi.com, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and Spotify.
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How would you describe ShahenShah: Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror to a new reader?
- *Shahenshah – King‘ ShahenShah – Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror’, is an overview of the glorious life of Shrenik Shah, a cancer survivor and a cancer conqueror.Hello!I am Jasveer Singh Dangi, and this is the life of Shrenik Shah through my eyes and through the eyes of countless souls he has touched throughout his journey as a cancer conqueror, as a Shahenshah. I am merely the projector, projecting his life through my words and words of others. I feel privileged and honored to have been a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to write about Shrenik Shah’s glorious life from various point of views; his family, his colleagues and his associates. I have tried to put various pieces together to present my version of his life. I hope I have been able to do justice, and I also hope that through this book, the world will be able to know him much better.I must share that it is I who had insisted on keeping this name, ShahenShah, for the book and he was dead against calling it this. Shrenik Shah, being a humble and kind man that he is, wanted a simple name for his life story but I convinced him to go with this name because I think not all ShahenShah's wear crown and command riches, some like Shrenik Shah are ShahenShah's because they conquered their greatest adversary with brevity and true grit.Message from Shrenik Shah – “If you are looking to add different colors, flavors and fragrances in your life in one go then read this coffee table book till the last page, and feel your desire accomplished.”So, here’s presenting the life of Shrenik Shah for you.
What was the inspiration behind ShahenShah: Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror?
- Shrenik Shah has been a motivational speaker for the past 23 years even after losing his voice. That in itself was a big motivation for me to write his story. Merely listening to him for the first time gave me goosebumps. His life proves that nothing is impossible, but only if you want it to happen
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- Chetan Bhagat & Roald Dahn. Before I started writing I had never read any books apart from textbooks. These 2 have been my motivation because I have only read their books till now. I use my everyday experiences to write books.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in your book?
- The story involves moments from Shrenik's life in Ahmedabad & his experience of working in various locations across the world
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Many authors (including my cousin) give up because they can't seem to find enough time to write. My suggestion to them is to keep taking baby steps & keep writing. No matter how small it is, don't give up is what I would like to tell them just keep moving. If i don't get time to open my laptop to write then I keep typing in my phone. Self-publishing has been the greatest gift for writers like me. I would pick up self-publishing over traditional printing any day but like all authors, I dream of getting my book published through traditional printing. Self-publishing is about deciding your budget & printing your book as per your convenience but traditional printing is for pros. You need really good stuff for the editors to select your manuscript for traditional printing.
What's your writing process?
- It starts with an idea & then I keep scribbling whatever comes to my mind. Over time I keep combining bits & pieces to put together a story.
Which character in ShahenShah: Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror has had the greatest impact on readers?
- There is only one hero in this story and that is Shrenik Shah himself. No one is beyond or better than him
If ShahenShah: Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye when you wrote him/her?
- I would leave this on Shrenik Shah because this is his life story after all but if my choice is asked then it would have to be Anupam Kher
How have readers responded to ShahenShah: Story of Shrenik Shah, the Cancer Conqueror?
- Readers have responded quite positively especially the Oncologists & healthcare professionals engaged in patient care
Where next? What are you working on now?
- I am working on a short story collection which will be launched in Oct
