1. Tell us something about yourself and
the book?
I am a marketer by
profession with over eleven years’ experience in handling Brands and their life cycles. I completed my MBA from MICA and along with a Post Graduate degree,
I got the love of my life there. I am married to him right now and we have two sons.
I have grown up in Delhi and my parents have spoiled me rotten. Have a younger
brother who has actually become my older brother over the years - he is more
patient and positive about life than I should be!
Hurry Om Hari is my
second book. This book is about two people who are like you and me. What makes
them inspire us is the fact that they choose to think about themselves and dare
to achieve their unfulfilled dreams - albeit in a HURRY!
2. How did you select this particular
title?
I love playing with
words for fun. It’s nice to twist them around and see what a world of
difference they can make by simply getting arranged in different ways. The play
with Hurry and Hari is a product of that curiosity. We have all grown up
dancing on this cult yesteryear song and when I started writing a story on how
two protagonists are determined to live their lives, even when they are in a
hurry, I instantly knew I would call one of the Om and the other one Hari.
3. What inspired you to write it?
A good plot. Once I
knew this would be an interesting story to tell, I had to sit down and take it
to a logical end. I knew I had to let people know that success is not just a by
product of hard work. It is also a must resultant of dreaming about it. I have
experienced this phenomenon in my personal life and instead of preaching about
it I weaved into a story and tried to send the message across.
4. How does it feel to be a writer?
In one word I could say -
Liberated! Writing takes me away from the routine. It gives me independence. It
gives me wings. It fuels my imagination. Oh and it also seems a little awkward
when I get a million requests from everyone around to write letters to some
government agencies, resignation letters, status updates only because : “Hey
you are a WRITER. Must be a two minute thing for you!”
5. What is your biggest strength when
it comes to writing?
Imagination. I can do
that quickly. It is part of my personality actually. I imagine scenarios,
always negative, in every situation. You have to ask my husband how ably I
imagine the worse things that will happen to us just because something little
occurred at one moment. On a serious note, I strongly believe that if you can
put yourself in every situation and think what could be the next move of a
situation, character or time - you are a writer.
6. Share some of your interesting
memories you lived while writing this book.
The most important was
all the Hockey I watched on TV or on YouTube. My sons are sports buff and they
knew my book has Hockey in it. Sometimes they would watch something and fill me
up with what I could include in the story.
Another significant
memory is the pains I took to not let anyone know the title of my book. Often people
would ask: “What's the name of your next?” And I had to safeguard it especially
because it’s difficult for your kids to not blurt out everything to everyone.
That is why the book is dedicated to their efforts.
7. How do you make sure your dreams
come true? Is there any short cut?
Nah. Never. There is
no short cut to anything. Me and my brother grew up hearing from Dad that there
is no substitute for Hard work. I take pride in working hard and then achieving
success rather than riding on someone’s back or looking for easier ways to
reach there. Dreams that come true on your own merit are savored best.
8. Do you think a race can ideally be
won by patience or by hurrying?
Race can be won only
by determination. If you are determined and passionate about winning, you will
win it by patience or hurrying- whatever path you choose. Your heart has to be
in the right place, which is all.
9. How was it working with Half Baked
Beans, when you are associated with Grapevine India?
Good you asked. So I
came on board as an Author at Half Baked Beans much before I joined Grapevine.
I am a strict professional and I have never let the two overlap or suffer any
conflict of interest because of my associations. I am a creative person and I
give my hundred percent in both my roles. I am also fortunate that I found the
right people at both these places. They are both encouraging and trust I will
perform with honesty in both capacities. Being the movie buff, I can relate
this to how Tigmanshu Dhulia directs his own films while he also acts under
Anurag Kashyap.
10. Do you think author’s conversations
and events are important for a book’s promotion?
Yes and No. You cannot
totally give up on promoting it by saying, “My work will do the talking”. At
the same time you cannot oversell it by forcing people with conversations and
appearances that become irritating for them. In the age where social media is
consumed more than water, one has to be careful in the approach they take. If
something is relevant and important for the world to know, make it known. But
if something is important to you do not assume you can talk about it for 48
hours in a day and nobody will mind. If your product is good, nothing can stop
it from being noticed.
11. What is your least favorite part of
the writing process?
The days when you just
do not feel like writing. I hate those days. They are really useless days.
12. Describe your writing style in ten
words or less.
I write for those who
think- Reading books isn’t easy.
13. What are some things you like to do
when you’re not writing?
Anything around Food,
Movies or Travel. These are the three things I truly invest my time and energy
in. Having two sons at the age they are in, the rest of the time is for them.
14. Do you think that writing about dreams
and strugglers can actually be of some help to the readers?
Yes. Aren’t we all
looking for references around us all the time? I believe when people will read
that dreams aren’t achieved by simply sitting on them but actually getting up
and going about grabbing them, it will help at least one person out there.
15. How do you feel when someone
disagrees with something you say or have written?
I take it very
seriously. I may not agree with the person but ill never disregard their
opinion.
16. Tell us something about your future
projects.
The next book is
ready. Announcements - at the right time. All I can say is that it is absolutely
different from what I have ever written. It is a very ambitious project and I
can't wait for the world to know about it.
17. Was this path difficult to tread on
or a smooth ride?
Smooth because I have
a very strong support group around me when it comes to my family and friends. I
am a royally pampered person and I am protected by their love and confidence
every second of my life. Difficult, because it is not easy to be creative. You
have mood swings, you have to be in a certain zone at times, you have to invest
a lot of time. But it is all worth it.
18. Lastly, is there a message you would
like to convey your readers?
Hurry Om Hari is a
product of my belief that no Dream is big or small. I have translated my
unending love for Reality shows (I am a huge Big Boss fan) by building a story
around it and letting everyone know that this love of mine is not stupid. I
have greatest respect for sports-persons. I dream of making my sons good sports-persons and thus I made Hockey a central character in the book so people
know that it is no easy business to be an achiever in this field. I just hope
you see the honesty of this belief in my words.
Description
"Hurry up or be left out!"
Haven't we all heard this at least thousand times in our lives? (Okay you must have heard more.) The point is we are all in a hurry to make something. Be it careers, relationships, excuses, success, cover ups, babies, lives.
Om and Hari.
Their dreams may be at the far ends of a rope, their journeys may be markedly different from each other's but their desire is common - to make it on their own!
What makes this even more tedious is their race against time in doing so. They are the dreamers, the strugglers, the under dogs, the go getters, the nerve wreckers, the charmers and....... they are You!
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