Sandeep Nulkar, the author of Mind it!: A Tongue-in-Cheek Look at How Indian English Can Amuse and Even Confuse, brings his extensive experience in the language and translation industry to this delightful book. The work is a witty exploration of over 100 classic ‘Indianisms’—those unique phrases and expressions that are peculiar to Indian English and can often lead to amusement or confusion. Through a humorous lens, Nulkar not only traces the origins of these Indianisms but also provides readers with the grammatically correct way to say them, making it both an educational and entertaining read.
As a prominent figure in the translation industry, Sandeep Nulkar is the first Asian to be honored with the 'Outstanding Contribution to the Language Industry' award and is recognized as one of the Top 50 global localization influencers by Nimdzi. He plays a significant role on the National Executive Committee of the National Language Translation Mission under the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India, and actively contributes to initiatives as the co-chair of two committees at FICCI. His influence extends beyond translation, as he serves on several advisory boards and is the vice president of the Alliance Française, Pune.
In addition to his non-fiction works, Sandeep Nulkar is currently venturing into fiction, working on his first novel and two commissioned film scripts, further showcasing his versatility and passion for storytelling.
1. "Mind it!" takes a humorous approach to Indian English. What inspired you to write a book that delves into this unique aspect of our language?
>Having studied in a convent school, I was raised on a staple of praise for my ability to speak English. And then, in the year 2000, I stepped out of the pond. My first visit to London changed everything. It was for the first time that I realised how empty all the praise was. I mean, yes, my English wasn’t bad, but it was surely different, and I don’t just mean the accent. I realised that the British had a much simpler way of saying things that we tend to complicate or then say it in a way that can either amuse or confuse native speakers. So, I got into this interesting habit of noting down the differences whenever I heard one. That habit continued even when I came back to India.
Then, somewhere around 2006, my company got a contract to translate all the user manuals of a reputed German car manufacturer. As much as our team did a great job of the translation itself, working with native British English editors became a sort of a masterclass in English. Suddenly, noting down the how our English is different didn’t seem to suffice. So, I started studying why that might be so.
Much later in 2010, it all came together when I was invited by one of Maharashtra’s leading newspapers to write a column on English in their popular weekly, Saptaheek Sakal. Although, the articles weren’t exactly about Indian English, the exercise of writing them included a lot of research that gave me a good understanding of why our English is different. And then came Rupa book contract to write a fun book on Indian English and I realised that I actually had most of the material ready. The book became the perfect corollary to a series of events that had started with me first stepping on British soil.
2. With over 100 classic 'Indianisms' in the book, how did you select which ones to include? Were there any that you found particularly amusing or challenging to explain?
>I have a collection of, literally, hundreds of Indianisms. In that sense, yes, it was difficult to pick the ones that I thought must be a part of the book. So, I decided to look at the relatability and fun quotient of each one of them and then shortlisted a little over a hundred that I knew I would have fun writing. If I enjoyed writing about them, I thought, people might enjoy reading about them too.
3. In your opinion, how have historical and cultural factors influenced the development of Indian English, and why do you think these 'Indianisms' have become so prevalent?
>There are two aspects to the answer. Firstly, English is not really our language. It is another thing that we have now made it our own. But historically, it was a language we acquired only to be able to interact with the British. Better English also meant better proximity to the powers that be and that leads to better prospects. That is perhaps why the aspirational value of English has always been very high. Coming back to the point, since English was not our language, we did not know the correct way to say everything we wanted. And that is where the second aspect comes in. The core purpose of a language is communication. So, when we did not know enough English, we started drawing from our own languages and cultures in order to communicate. That is perhaps how literal translations borrowed from Indian languages and cultures became a part of our English and now those are a part of how we talk. And honestly, they work like a charm. Who cares about the purists when the core purpose of the language is being satisfied. English now acts like a bridge language between two Indians who do not speak each other’s language or another common language.
4. You’ve had a remarkable career in the translation industry. How has your experience shaped your understanding of language nuances, especially when it comes to Indian English?
>That’s a really interesting question. Well, you see, I like to believe that I have what I call a linguistic split personality (laughs). When I am in work mode, I am a purist and that is as far as English is concerned. It applies to all languages. Although languages are always evolving and in India, like we say, they also change every few kilometres. But there is a generally accepted standard or official version of every language. Professionally, I would always want to be as close as I can be to that, no matter what language I am using. I also make it a point to start and finish sentences in the same language.
However, when it comes to informal settings, then I derive great pleasure in speaking like we all do, code mixed. Code-mixing is when speakers mix elements from two or more languages within a single sentence. It is common in multilingual societies where speakers are fluent in multiple languages and switch between them depending on the context, topic, or audience. For example, in India, it's common to hear, say, Hindi-English code-mixing, where a sentence might start in Hindi and include English words or phrases. An example might be: "Mujhe ye idea bohot interesting laga" ("I found this idea very interesting”).
5. Your book not only points out these 'Indianisms' but also provides the grammatically correct alternatives. How important is it to strike a balance between preserving cultural identity and adhering to standard English grammar?
>If you ask me, it doesn’t matter how correct the English we speak is. What we speak works for us. We understand each other, impress those we want to and get our work done. And anyway, what we speak is Indian English and that technically makes us native speakers of Indian English. In fact, the way we speak and write works for the most part outside India too. The only reason I have provided the grammatically correct alternatives is as an academic exercise. It is always good to know why we do something, why it is wrong and what is the right way to say it. In the rare case we wish to use it, we always have access to it. And it is also useful for those who really want to learn it the right way.
6. Humor is a key element in 'Mind it!'. How did you ensure that the humor remained accessible and respectful, while also being informative?
>I don’t think, in my head, I was writing a book. I was simply having a conversation, expressing an opinion or sharing whatever knowledge I have. More like talking to friends. I think it is that style that lends the book a tongue-in-cheek flavour, because I am like that as a person too. Being born and brought up in Pune, taking digs at everything, including at our own self is how we grew up. So, humour is never more than a few sentences away when we speak. I also feel one retains information better when it is accessed through humor.
7. As someone deeply involved in the language industry, what are your thoughts on the future of Indian English? Do you see it evolving in a particular direction?
>Not only Indian English but also languages in general are always evolving. So, there is no doubt in my mind that Indian English will continue to evolve too. In fact, sometimes, I even suspect from the things that I have read that the English spoken by the older generation was grammatically much purer than the English we speak today. Indian English today is more Americanised than it was fifty years ago, when the British influence was more dominant. As more and more Indians pick up English, they will give it their own twist and when enough number of us do it, it would change how we speak.
8. You’re working on your first fiction novel and have been commissioned to write two film scripts. How does your approach to writing fiction and screenplays differ from writing a book like 'Mind it!'?
>I feel good writers are like good actors. Much like actors can get into the skin of any character, writer also can get into the skin of any subject. The style and tone of the novel I am writing has no resemblance whatsoever to the style and tine you see in Mind It! And it will be completely different for a movie script since the style, tone and language register is defined by the subject matter and also the audience we are writing for. In each of these three cases, the both these aspects are completely different.
9. Given your extensive experience and accolades, what advice would you offer to aspiring writers who wish to explore language and its nuances in their work?
>This one is easy. I once attended a book launch. Packed room. During the Q&A, someone asked Ruskin Bond what his advice to aspiring writers would be. He said, “Write!” I think that is the best advice anyone can possibly give or receive.
10. Finally, can you share any anecdotes or experiences from your career that have influenced your work on 'Mind it!' or your overall perspective on language?
>Having worked with languages all my life, I have seen how language can divide, how it breeds hate and even racism. The quality of your accent and the richness of your grammar defines you as a person. People jump to conclusions and judge you depending on how you speak. That couldn’t be further from the reality though. Like there are singers but then there are also bathroom singers like most of us, I am sure there are great exponents of linguistic ability, like your Tharoors or your Bachchans. Let us call them language artists. But then, there are also all these other people, who are simply trying to communicate. And as long as they are doing that, we should not judge them. It’s their language too, and if I truly claim to love languages, then I also respect their dialect. Mind It! is supposed to be a fun book. It is not meant to be preachy. It celebrates how we speak English and how we have left it a little richer by our contribution.
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