An interview has become an indispensable feature of journalism today. Some call it a great art. In the same way, some celebrities, criminals and victims are interviewed. The media interviews celebrities if they are involved in some care. The celebrities despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion on their lives. It is like stealing of their souls and diminishes and tarnishes their status. Some people like V. S. Naipaul are wounded by interviews and feel a part of their personalities stolen. Lewis Carroll was said to have a just horror of the interviewer and he never consented to be interviewed, Caroline, the wife of Rudyard Kipling said that an interview is vile, crime and all offence. No respectable person, would ask it, much less give it. On the other hand H. G. Wells referred it to be an inter-viewing or deal. Nobel Laureate Saul Bellow took the interview like the thumb-prints on his windpipe. Thus opinions on the interview vary considerably.

In his interview with Mukand Padmanabhan, Umberto Eco points out that he is a university professor who writes novels on Sundays. Though he readily participates in academic conferences but he has no interest to attend to the meetings of Pen Clubs and the writers. He is very much clear about himself and identifies himself with the academic community. One can estimate that Eco is a modest cooperative and firm in his convictions. He does not call himself a successful novelist. Through his interview with Mukund we get aspects of his writings, style and ideas. Even then most of the people take him to be a novelist because of the huge success of his novel “The Name of the Rose” yet he remains committed to his regular professional academic work. In his novels for children one can find non-violence and peace.

In his philosophy and the secret of his work, Eco tells that there are empty spaces in the universe. He calls them ‘interstices’ and he works in them. He has written five novels. More than 40 scholarly works are at his credit including a book on semiotics. At a late age of 50 he first started writing novels by accident. In his writing, Eco follows a narrative aspect, i.e. an informal approach. It is a marked departure from the regular academic style. This narrative aspect of writing has brought a huge success to his novel, ‘The Name of the Rose.’ It includes experiences of metaphysics, theology and medieval history in its detective yarn. It has attracted a mass audience. It has narration and with its surprising praise, Eco thinks his success a mystery.

Umberto Eco has his interview with Padmanabhan of the Hindu. There he points out some very significant facts about him and his writing. He has no hesitation in himself for calling a university Professor who writes novels on Sundays. He has some philosophical interest that he pursues through his academic work. He is an excellent academician and has produced over 40 scholarly works. His style is narrative that satisfies his taste for writing. It is quite different from other scholarly writings. His children works are about non-violence and peace. These are his ethical and philosophical interests. Among them is a seminal piece of work on semiotics. He completely identifies himself with the academic community. At the age of 22, he presented his doctoral dissertation. He wrote it in a personalised narrative form. It was highly acclaimed. In a way it is his natural style of writing where he likes telling stories.

Umberto Eco shares his good secret with Mukund. He thinks that we have a lot of empty spaces in our lives. He uses them to his advantage. To these empty spaces, Eco calls them ‘interstices’ or intervals. He tells that if we eliminate the empty spaces from the universe, the world will shrink. It will become as big as a fish. Regarding his non-fictional style, Eco tells that it is different from his regular style. When he presented his doctoral dissertation, his professor observed him. Eco told the use of his ‘trials and errors’ method. His essays have a narrative aspect and later it was developed in his novels, ‘The Name of the Rose’ is a great success and he thinks that his success is a mystery.

Umberto Eco calls himself a university professor. Once he has his interview with Mukund Padmanabhan of ‘the Hindu’. There he reveals some important facts about him and his writing. He clearly states that he is a professor who writes novels on Sundays in the empty spaces. He tells his philosophical interests which he pursues through his academic work and his novels.

His books for children propagate nonviolence and peace. The children books are not only entertaining but are also full of ethical and philosophical interests. Because of the moral and philosophical messages, these books are liked by children very much.

In his academic works and novels, like his first doctoral dissertation in Itlay, he adopts a narrative aspect of writing. This narrative aspect satisfies his taste for writing. His famous novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ is one of his five novels which propagate his universal interest of philosophy. All his scholarly works, over forty including his book on semiotics, speak of his contribution in writing. Yet he prefers himself to be called a university professor who writes novels on Sundays.

Even his serious novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ enjoyed a huge mass audience because its detective yarn digging into metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Contrary to the people’s choice of trash, the easy things and, experiences, they preferred it.

An interview is a formal meeting, interaction or a kind of discussion with some one. In other sense it is the best mode of deducing truth, reality, opinion and viewpoint of people under way. It is a kind of conversation which aims at obtaining information. Especially one is a journalist who asks questions from some important public man and the same is published later on. It has got a wider implication both for the employer and the employee. A little over 130 years, it has become a commonplace of journalism. Every literate person has read or watched an interview at some point of his life. Over the years several thousands celebrities have been interviewed but some of them do not favour it.

An interview is a sort of screening, interaction and introspection. In the present day society, people are chased continuously for the interview. In form, function, method and merit people differ in their viewpoint but it is the highest form of truth. It is an art in practice. It is a supremely serviceable medium of communication in the modern age. It provides us the most vivid impressions of our contemporaries. Denis Brain has appropriately said that almost everything reaches us through one man asking questions of another. Hence the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence.