Partha Majumdar is a seasoned leader in the software solutions industry, specialising in data sciences, blockchain, and cybersecurity. He is the Managing Director of Majumdar Consultancy Pvt Ltd. and is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science. With a passion for continuous learning, Majumdar has authored thirty-seven books on academia and knowledge dissemination and has been recognised with multiple professional awards. His debut novel, Rise and Fall, showcases his storytelling talent, blending suspense, morality, and complex characters. When not writing, Majumdar is involved in innovative business ventures, technology leadership, and upskilling initiatives.
The Literature Times: What inspired you to write Rise and Fall, and how did you develop the central themes of ambition, greed, and justice?
Partha Majumdar: I felt a strong urge to write Rise and Fall because I wanted to explore the almost eternal struggles of human ambition, morality, and justice. The story borrows heavily from mythological and historical sources, where this downfall challenges the power brought forth by unscrupulous desires. The basic structure is based on the story of Mahishasuramardini, with its rich symbolism of the triumph of good over evil. I want to recontextualise these themes in a modern setting to make them palatable to modern-day readers.
I created a protagonist, Mahesh, who embodies the duality of ambition and justice to explore the central theme of the book: ambition, greed, and justice. His humble origin in Datta Pukur is a story of raw ambition forged in adversity, but his saga also exemplifies how unrestrained avarice can corrupt souls. Justice is not so much a punishment as a balancing act, personified in the figure of Durga, who is courageous and virtuous and counterbalances Mahesh’s degeneration.
Through the interactions between these two figures, I created a thought-provoking story that challenges readers to consider their own beliefs and decisions.
The Literature Times: Mahesh Roy, the protagonist of your novel, is a complex character. What aspects of his personality and journey did you find most challenging to write?
Partha Majumdar: Mahesh Roy, the protagonist of Rise and Fall, remains one of the most layered characters I have ever penned, for he represents the shades of human emotions, values and flaws. The challenge was to tell this story of his slow and steady decline — from hopeful, ambitious youth to power- and greed-mired man — in a way that made sense.
What made it especially challenging was that I needed each of the stages of Mahesh’s life—his humble beginnings in Datta Pukur, his rise to wealth through sheer effort, and his ultimate moral compromises—to feel real. I needed to show the internal struggles he had while battling his ambitions and the repercussions of his actions.
Building his downfall was about nuance; I wanted readers to understand why he did what he did without condoning the terrible things he did. Some humour at how much a compromised human he is, battling through his own making up, from a drive to be better balanced against the cost of your human soul, particularly on your family and your sense of right and wrong, made most relatable yet still tragic.
In the end, Mahesh’s complexity as a character allowed me to probe broader ideas about human ambition, the price of success, and what happens when greed overwhelms the self.
The Literature Times: The novel is set against the backdrop of Goa and Datta Pukur. How did you choose these locations, and how do they enhance the themes and narrative of Rise and Fall?
Partha Majumdar: The reasons for selecting Goa and Datta Pukur as settings for Rise and Fall are symbolic associations and the significance of the two places in the novel, as per the characters. The book’s main values are Passion, Humility, and Justice.
Mahesh Roy and the small-town settings characterise some of his life in Datta Pukur. The town’s closeness to Kolkata allows the story to span rural life and urban possibilities, reflecting Mahesh’s early travails and possibilities. By opting for Datta Pukur, I root for Mahesh’s character in authenticity and relatability, even as he lays the foundation for his rise.
Conversely, Goa is the epitome of glamour, opportunity, and moral complexity. A city known for its glittering nightlife and charm, it becomes the setting for Mahesh’s transformation and eventual moral decline. The setting serves as a real-world backdrop to key plot points, including Mahesh’s meeting with Durga and the book’s exploration of greed and moral compromise. Goa, in all its spiritedness, represents Mahesh’s conflicted inner world and the opposing forces of ambition and justice that propel the narrative.
By contrasting these locations, Rise and Fall highlights the protagonist’s arc from humility to extravagance, using space to enhance its espoused themes of ambition, avarice, and equity.
The Literature Times: Durga Varma, the lawyer, plays a pivotal role in the story. Can you tell us more about her character development and what she represents in the novel?
Partha Majumdar: In Rise and Fall, Durga Varma embodies resilience, fairness, and an unshakeable moral compass. The Goddess Durga influenced the evolution of her character from Indian mythology, representing strength and the power to fight against wrong. Throughout the story, she becomes a committed lawyer in Delhi and a vessel of accountability against Mahesh Roy’s empire.
Beneath the array of plot twists and empowering character backstories, Durga’s journey is defined by her steadfast commitment to integrity and justice despite the numerous personal and professional obstacles in her way. Her relationships with her parents, her bond with the community, and her connection to Raj Malhotra all make her deep and relatable. The constant reiteration of her familial connection to Mahesh establishes her ground in this narrative, turning her into someone more than an antagonist but into the quest for justice that the story seeks.
As Mahesh’s story revolves around greed and excess, Durga’s place in the narrative becomes a foil—a measure of what he has lost and the ramifications of his ever-growing ambition. Her fearless quest for justice against formidable opponents captures her fortitude and creates a memento of hope in a story of ascendance and decline.
The Literature Times: Rise and Fall is not just a thriller but also explores deeper moral questions. What message or lessons do you hope readers take away from the book?
Partha Majumdar: In Rise and Fall, I intended to delve into the moral ambiguities and decisions we are forced to confront in our pursuit of success and wealth and juxtapose them as best as I could with what I feel are the tenets of justice and righteousness. The book follows true-to-life socio-economic shifts within a world of rapid changes in every sense, where we pay an ethical debt for our rapid successes.
The answer I’d like readers to take away is to value family and stay true to them — right alongside staying true to your ambitions. There is no success worth losing your values for or forgetting where you come from. Mahesh’s journey is a cautionary tale and reminds readers that while ambition might drive one through life, it should always be accompanied by principles of Dharma and accountability to live a truly satisfying life. Through Mahesh’s rise and fall, I want readers to consider the implications of justice, the perils of unrestrained greed, and the invaluable influence of family and moral steadiness in determining the course of one’s life.
The Literature Times: As someone with extensive experience in the software and technology sectors, how do you balance your career with your passion for writing? Does your professional background influence your storytelling in any way?
Partha Majumdar: My background as a software and technology professional drives much of my storytelling. The way I build my stories is akin to how I write code. Every plot point and character in Rise and Fall has a deliberate and structured progression; it is like writing code, where every function must be purposeful.
Writing fits into my career naturally since I treat my work and writing lives as creatively collaborative endeavours. My professional experience is in a very detail-oriented environment, and the same problem-solving rigour and effort to come up with novel solutions go into my stories to ensure they make sense in terms of their grounded, structured, and impactful nature. Writing allows me to express those principles through stories that connect emotionally and intellectually.
The Literature Times: The book features several unexpected twists and turns. How do you approach writing suspenseful moments, and what do you find most exciting about creating tension in a story?
Partha Majumdar: There are surprises in the book “Rise and Fall” that provide thrills of suspense. I wrote about these moments because my life has been one of the ones that have had many surprises juxtaposed with interesting adventures. Whether going on trips or delivering crucial projects, I’ve encountered unpredictable scenarios and have learned to assess them and find innovative solutions.
My storytelling is influenced by this natural inclination to navigate through complex scenarios and balance how all the pieces fit as a whole. Logic alone cannot produce a moment of suspense; it is the depth of logistics combined with emotional context that makes each twist feel earned and not forced. What I love most about generating tension is getting into characters’ minds and digging around for their weaknesses and growth as they face unexpected obstacles. Readers respond to the story, not in a predictable way, but in a multidimensional way that is influenced by this back and forth between details, characterisation, atmosphere, and conflict.
The Literature Times: What was the most rewarding aspect of writing Rise and Fall, and how do you feel about your debut novel’s reception so far?
Partha Majumdar: The greatest pleasure of writing Rise and Fall was being able to leverage my long-standing interest in human nature and the ethical quandaries that emerge when people are faced with power and ambition. Through the character arc of Mahesh Roy, I wrote about personal growth, moral dilemmas, and the repercussions of choices driven by greed.
The response to the book has been overwhelmingly uplifting. It has been a deeply gratifying experience to see readers engage with the characters and themes and contemplate their interpretations. This confirms that the effort and emotional investment spent on the story really paid off and that the sweat of putting together this debut novel was absolutely well worth it.
Buy Book: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DFY5F3VF
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