‘Mysuru inspired my journey into history’

Exclusive interview with acclaimed Historian and Researcher Dr. Vikram Sampath

From tech files to hidden archives: Celebrated author traces his journey from the corporate world to chronicling India’s past and the rise of AI-driven translations

By S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

The journey of well-known historian Dr. Vikram Sampath has been an unusual one. He began his career in the corporate sector before deciding to pursue his passion for writing and research.

As he himself points out, history was never among his favourite subjects in school. Yet, he went on to build a distinguished career as a historian and author. Dr. Vikram Sampath has always been vocal about his books and the subjects he has chosen to explore.

His works on the Mysore Royal Family, Tipu Sultan and biographies of Veer Savarkar and Gauhar Jaan, among others, have been widely received by readers. While some of his works have attracted criticism, he has continued his research and writing undeterred.

Founder of the Archive of Indian Music and Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research (FIHCR) and Co-founder of NAAV AI, Dr. Vikram Sampath was in Mysuru on Saturday for the release of ‘Nanna Hesaru Gauhar Jaan,’ the Kannada AI translation of his book ‘My Name is Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician.’

The event was held at the Jagannatha Centre for Art and Culture (JCAC) in Vijayanagar 1st Stage. Star of Mysore caught up with the historian to talk about his journey as a writer and entrepreneur. Excerpts…

Star of Mysore (SOM): Being an engineer and mathematician who worked in the corporate world, what inspired you to become  a historian?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: I think the inspiration to become a historian came from Mysuru. That is why the city is so special to me. When I was around 12 or 13 years old, I was deeply disturbed by the way the Mysore Royal Family was portrayed in the TV serial ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan.’ That set me on a journey of self-discovery about the Wadiyars.

After nearly 10 years of researching the dynasty, which ruled for about 600 years, my first book, ‘Splendours of Royal Mysore: The Untold Story of the Wodeyars,’ was published in 2008. That sparked a deeper interest in history.

My second book, on Gauhar Jaan, also had its origins in Mysuru. In many ways, Mysuru has been fundamental to my journey as a historian. I later went on to earn a Ph.D in History from the University of Queensland, Australia. But the journey began in Mysuru and I owe a great deal to this city.

SOM: How do you view your journey from being a corporate professional to becoming one of the most popular writers of the modern era?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: I feel extremely grateful because very few people get the opportunity to turn their passion into their profession. I was doing well in the corporate sector, but it was never my real interest. Later, I also worked in the Government sector and briefly served as Director of the Southern Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. I spent some time in administration, but that too was not where my heart lay.

Today, through my writing and the two organisations I have built, the non-profit FIHCR and the startup NAAV AI, which I co-founded with Sandeep Singh Chauhan, I am doing work that I genuinely enjoy.

As I said earlier, very few people get the chance to make their passion their profession. When that happens, you do not spend your life regretting what you do, which was often how I felt during my corporate career.

SOM: You have been involved in archiving old musical, literary and other artistic works. However, India is not doing enough to preserve its archives. What is your view?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: I think we do not have enough regard for our history, monuments and artefacts. Forget preservation; we often fail to make these stories interesting enough for young people to relate to. That is something we need to address.

The Government has placed considerable emphasis on Digital India and initiatives such as the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ for manuscript preservation are steps in the right direction. However, much more needs to be done because we are losing valuable artefacts, knowledge and cultural resources at an alarming rate.

SOM: Can you tell us about your thought process while writing a book on historical events or personalities?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: Firstly, I never thought I had chosen a topic. I always feel that the subject has chosen me. Gauhar Jaan, for instance, perhaps felt I was a worthy instrument through whom her story could be told. That is why the book is titled ‘My Name is Gauhar Jaan.’ She is telling her story through my pen.

The same applies to many of my subjects. Even the book on the Wadiyars was never planned. My life has been full of serendipitous moments and happy accidents. I do not spend too much time over-analysing what I should write next. The subjects come to me naturally and there is certainly no shortage of fascinating stories waiting to be told.

SOM: Now that you are also involved in Artificial Intelligence (AI), what do you make of the criticism against its use?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: There will always be critics of any new technology. Gauhar Jaan’s life is symbolic of that. When she embraced recording technology, many people opposed it. But today, you would not be able to record anything on your phone if pioneers like her had not taken that step.

AI is similar. Whether you like it or not, it is going to become all-pervasive. AI is here to stay. Just because someone dislikes, it does not mean it will disappear. Instead of fearing or resisting it, people should focus on upskilling themselves.

When computers first arrived, there were fears that people would lose their jobs. Instead, people adapted, learned to use computers and found better opportunities. I believe the same applies to AI.

SOM: As a writer, you have been outspoken about your work. Whether it is your books on Tipu Sultan or Savarkar, they have attracted considerable backlash. How do you deal with it?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: Once you place your book in the public domain, you must be prepared for criticism. You cannot expect everyone to praise your work. It is like a good film. Some critics may dismiss it, while others may love it. That is part of the game. Criticism does not discourage me, nor does excessive praise make me lose my grounding.

As long as you have the conviction that what you have done is right and your conscience is clear, what matters is the soundness of your research and methodology. If I am confident about that, what others say does not matter too much.

SOM: How did NAAV AI come into being?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: In fact, it began with my own book on the Mysore Royal Family, which was published in 2008 and is yet to be translated into Kannada.

Sandeep Singh Chauhan, Co-founder of NAAV AI, is a close friend who comes from a strong technology background. I was discussing with him whether technology could help translate books into Indian languages more efficiently. NAAV AI emerged quite organically from those conversations.

We were fortunate to receive early support from Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal, US-based entrepreneur Asha Jadeja and Bengaluru-based investors Prashanth Prakash and Subroto Mitra. They believed in our vision, invested in the company and today we are about one-and-a-half years old.

SOM: What are the plans for NAAV AI?

Dr. Vikram Sampath: We have many projects in the pipeline, including several Government assignments. Our focus is on translating long-form content such as books, newspaper articles and magazines into Indian languages. At present, we work with around 12 Indian languages and five to six foreign languages. We are also involved in live translation services and audiobooks. We plan to expand further into video and other technology-driven solutions.

We have ambitious plans, particularly in areas such as education and knowledge dissemination. As I often say, English is understood and consumed by only about 5 to 6 percent of India. To reach the rest of the country, quality content must be available in Indian languages.

There are frequent debates about protecting Kannada, Marathi, Tamil and other languages. But languages do not survive merely because Governments pass laws. They survive when quality content is created and consumed in those languages.

When a Kannada writer is read in Bengal, Assam or Kashmir and when writers from those regions are read in Karnataka, languages grow stronger. Technology must serve as that bridge and enabler. NAAV AI is working towards exactly that goal: Taking Indian voices across linguistic boundaries within the country and beyond, through translations into foreign languages as well.