He is the author of three national bestsellers; Flight of the Hilsa, Chapter Eleven & Love is Vodka - A Shot Ain't Enough. He is an avid music buff and a great exponent of the guitar.
Here he lets his readers know a little more about himself and his
journey so far.
1. Tell us something about yourself and your
book?
Nothing in specific, just a loner, who
loves to blabber, guard his space and totally in love with writing, coffee,
rock and jazz. During my professional career spanning for more than 14 years,
I have donned the hats of a copywriter, creative director and a CEO. Café Latte is my fourth title; my first
collection of short stories. Prior to this, I detested the format of short
stories. Never read them or even attempted writing. And here I am, now completely
in love with them. What makes Café Latte special? Well, it is the only compilation,
which explores and romatices ‘death’ unfurling its various hues. A majority of
the stories showcase the true beauty of the only truth; death.
2.
Why Vitasta Publishing?
Why not would be my question to you.
Can you recall the pubisher of Godfather or Gone with the wind? Moreover, I can
never forget that Vitasta was the first one to sign me. With four titles down
the line, guess we are on equal footing. Maybe it is time to seek and explore
more.
3.
What inspired you to write this
particular collection?
Simple, the desire to do something different
from my earlier forms, titles and genres. Also, I wanted to make myself love
something I hated all my life—short stories and then to excel. Read the
collection, if you havent by now, and you will find it to be refreshingly
different—UNUSUAL, as I term it. The reviews have been more than heart warming.
Please check them out on my FB page. The response has been exceptional, both in
terms of critical accalim and the numbers.
4.
How was the journey in this writing
field so far?
I have always been a writer. Earlier I
used to write love letters for my friends, then compelling sales stories for
brands and finally, fiction. I find the journey to be enjoyable, exhilirating
and exuberant.
5.
What do you think is your biggest
strength when it comes to writing?
I have the courage to go where no one
does. This results in telling offbeat stories. From Flight of the Hilsa to Café
Latte, all of them have not been really mainstream, if you know what I mean.
When the writing circuit was abuzz with love stories with IIM romance churning
mill working overtime, my first title approached the grave and serious topic of
demystifying happiness and that too from a woman’s POV. The second one, Chapter
11 peeked inside the shiny corporate façade juxtaposing it with our crumbling
value system. Love is Vodka analysed ‘love’ thorough a microscope sans the lens
of morality. And café Latte, is now enthralling readers with a bag full of
UNUSUAL observations and narration.
6.
What is your least favourite part of
the writing process?
I complete the manuscript so fast that
I get no time to figure out the favourite or the least favourite part. Café
Latte was written in four days flat. An interesting thing, what you read is the
first and final draft. I never write and revisit my writing. Never let anyone
to edit it. Just proof check by someone and it’s good to go. I prefer content
over form factor.
7.
Share some of your interesting memories
you lived while writing this book.
An apartment on the 12 floor, five days
and four nights, three bottles of Glenlivet, loads of carrots and apples and
macbook air. Of course my writing glasses and rubik cube.
8.
If you were to describe your book in
one line, what would it be?
Nothing like anything you would have
ever read, UNUSUAL.
9.
What are some things you like to do
when you’re not writing?
Cook, love sitting at a café watching
people, re arrange furniture, and of course strum my guitar.
10. Readers need an author they can look
upto, not a proud author. Few months ago, you publically made
fun of Book Reviewers and now when your book is in the market, you are seeking
reviews for your book. How far do you think your statement was justified? You wrote, “Can’t write to save your life?
Become a Book Reviewer.” Don’t you think you should apologise for your
words?
“Lions make leopord tame
Yeah, but but not change his spots”
The whole context of context is lost
when it is taken out of the context.
11. It
may be unfair to ask but we’d love to know your personal favourites from ‘Café
Latte’?
The Jazz Player. I like it for its strains
of meloncholy, the interplay of life’s cruelty picthced against hope.
12. How
do you feel when someone disagrees with something you have written?
I appreciate different POVs. How boring
would life be if everything was uniform? No wonder I hated my school uniform. I
am one of the few writers who psot reviews as it is. When I had launched
Chapter 11, a journalist tore it apart in her review. I sent her a mail
thanking her for her time and expressing her point of view. She was
flabbergasted. Not that I am trying to
prove a point but the fact is criticism does not affect me as I write for my
self. If readers love it, it’s double whammy.
13. Tell
us something about your future projects.
A big canvas, crime thriller. This wuld
be my first time in this genre. Trying my best to make it different from my
earlier four titles.
14. Anything
else that you would like your readers to know about you?
I'm the devil with no makeup.
15. Lastly,
is there a message you would like to convey your readers?
“The lover of life's
not a sinner
The ending is just a
beginner
The closer you get to
the meaning
The sooner you'll know
that you're dreaming
So it's on and on and
on, oh it's on and on and on
It goes on and on and
on, Heaven and Hell”
Description
We are brought up
listening to and reading stories, which makes us form a clichéd framework of
expectations and concepts about life. Café Latte takes you on a tantalizing
foray into the unusual with some refreshing and some startling narrations. The stories
cover a broad spectrum of people and events and will have you turning the pages
eagerly for the twist in the end.
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