Author Vish Dhamija of London, whose books feature crime and courtroom drama, touches on some mental health concerns in his most recent work.

The narrative of “Deja Karma: You Can Fight But You Can’t Win” centers on Jay Singh, a defense attorney who has never lost a case. However, the past returns to haunt him when a prominent murder suspect arrives to his door and he finds himself involved in a case that has the potential to severely devastate him.

“Deja Karma” is a legal and psychological thriller, according to Dhamija, who will begin a book tour of India on Sunday. It tells the tale of a deeply troubled man, a successful lawyer psychologically damaged by traumatic events in his adolescence, who struggles to build a bridge between his past and present while completely erroneously believing that – in his particular case – the past and present are better kept separate.

“And as though he isn’t already besieged by problems, his professional success has made him an egomaniac, a narcissist. Until his Karma comes calling,” he says.

He claims that some mental health concerns some individuals have are covered in his book and that seeking help should not be considered embarrassing.
Dhamija claims he intended to be a lawyer. His stories are set in Indian courts.

“I even enrolled in law, but circumstances changed the course of my life and career. However, once I had time again, I thought about how I could get back to something I was passionate about and writing legal fiction came to mind,” he says.

According to him, legal fiction requires combining creative storytelling with legal research and an understanding of the applicable principles, procedures, legalese, and the legal framework relevant to the storyline.

“I am quite fortunate – when I left studying law after a year, some of my friends continued in the discipline, and became practising lawyers – that if I get stuck at any point, I can pick up the phone and call any one of them for details and explanations and advice,” he says.

Screen rights have been purchased for Dhamija’s books.
If this pattern of books being adapted for the screen put any pressure on him to try new things with his writing, he replies, “No. Actually, ever since I wrote my first book, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” I’ve made sure to include enough information about the characters, scenarios, settings, and procedures so that readers can picture the people and situations they’re reading about in their minds.

A significant production company just purchased his book “Bhendi Bazaar,” which features DCP Rita Ferreira. The publisher of “Deja Karma” is Pan Macmillan India.