The Flipkart Review Moderation Process

By AnujR | Published: October 30, 2011

We realise there is some concern around how Product reviews on our website get moderated, and around transparency (or lack thereof). We would like to clarify.

1. Our review policy and moderation process.

A general rule of thumb in moderating reviews is:

a) If a review consists only of a product review (Positive or negative): Approve
b) If a review consists only of a service feedback (Positive or negative): Reject.
c) If it’s a positive service feedback, mail back the customer thanking for his testimonial. If it’s negative, forward it to Customer Support (and follow up).
d) If a review consists of both product and service feedback: Given sufficient depth in product reviewed, with a mention about our service (positive or negative), Approve. Else, reject.

Refer to this for the complete guidelines.

2. What do we look for in Product Reviews?

Longevity & Product Focus.

Any review that contains transient information—details which won’t be relevant to users in the near-to-far future—gets rejected. These could be about price (which is subject to change over a period of time), or delivery times (which can vary from 2-3 business days to 8-10 business days at different times), and service reviews.

The most helpful product reviews list some context, both pros and cons of the product, and alternative product choices (if any).

Title: Smooth, Compact and Quality product

At first I was a bit confused coz from the image it seemed so large, but when I got it, it was so small and cute. The retractible cable works pretty well. Pull it to expand and pull again, it shrinks.

A good peice to carry around in laptop bag.

About durability.. its seems it will last long, lets see.. I just got mine day before yesterday.

Its pretty smooth and clicks are also good. I played 5 hours of Counter Strike countinuosly on the firstday itself. ;)

There are others in this price range which is even small but won’t last long. So be cautious
Hope this one won’t give up soon. :)

http://www.flipkart.com/computers/mice/itmczbnkmgh8fptf?pid=acccyvmewre2w7hf#read-reviews

The same product also has a positive service reviews that we are yet to moderate:

Title: Brilliant product and superb Shipping

Ordered this product on 26th oct(Wed)and thought it would be delivered on Monday due to Diwali and Sunday. But surprisingly product delivered on Saturday. Even packing was so good and even product is nice with bill and totally nice piece Sealed Packed no doubt on its originality. Hope this work always goes on this way.

Title: GREAT SERVICE!
i am very happy to recieve my product on time and and such a sturdy packing….first i hesitated to buy this item….as i was making my first online purchase…i specially and will always prefer flipkart for further online purchases,also FLIPKART has won my trust in online shopping!…the product was perfectly delivered to my home.the mouse is as imagined but it was what i wanted(love the retractable thing in it!…:D

In all fairness, these two reviews (however genuine), add little or no information about the product that might be helpful to a potential customer.

3. Rejecting reviews that have Service Feedback / Delivery Concerns

The primary reason why we reject service reviews is because they are specific occurrences, and can be solved with troubleshooting at our end. Even in the case of positive experiences, this may deteriorate over time. Certain products as well as Cash-on-Delivery as a service may be available only in certain geographies, and is thus representative only of a subset of users. Hence, both positive and negative service reviews can be misinterpreted/misleading across our entire user base.

In all such cases where negative feedback is received, not only do we make it a point to communicate to the reviewer about the deletion, but also mention having escalated the issue to our Customer Support personnel for us to take corrective action. We in all instances aim for a resolution, and for the loop to be closed.

In most cases, users typically do both; email support as well as write a review. Subsequently, a lot of our users also want to amend service reviews (from negative to positive, and vice versa). Given the transient nature of such instances, it is in everyones best interests that we decide not to publish service reviews, neither positive nor negative.

Along similar lines, a significant number of our users have also expressed the need to demarcate product reviews from service ones. The majority of them refer to the reviews section to make an informed decision on the product … not as much the service. There are of course other forums where users are free to share their experiences, our Facebook reviews page and MouthShut being two examples.

4. Moderation: A Work In Progress

Of the ~65,000 reviews we have, 30% are yet to be moderated — and given the manual moderation process — there will be instances of reviews which aren’t ideal for at least some more time, perhaps a month or so. This includes reviews both positive and negative, like examples mentioned above.

There is inherent natural bias towards positive reviews, given that most people have positive experiences with us, and are thus more inclined to review our product/service. This is the kind of review for where we thank customers, but nonetheless delete:

Subj: Impeccable and Impressive Service

I ordered the card on 24th evening and recieved on 25th october afternoon. Just one word. Impressive.
Amazing..Impeccable service. A genuine product nonetheless. I am very happy dealing with Flipkart.
Amazing products with competetive rates.

5 Stars all together.

All the same, people with bad experiences need to vent their frustration … across avenues. Some recent negative reviews yet to be moderated:

Non-Delivery by Flipkart
Flipkart has failed to deliver within the timeline mentioned on their website. Take extreme care while placing order especially if you are transacting with your credit card…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

http://www.flipkart.com/cameras/canon/itmczcqbhdhwhtd7?pid=camcvydjvzghzkp9#read-reviews

Please Do NOT Buy from here
felt cheated with the pricing of this headset after seeing the same stuff priced in the market at a much cheaper price.

http://www.flipkart.com/review/mobiles/bluetooth-headsets/itmczcrqtgxgfmwf?pid=acccz8de4vxuzak8

To add an air of neutrality, and for a moment look at things in a lighter vein, this same page also has “test review” by one of our developers. The test review hasn’t yet been deleted, and it has been close to 2 weeks.

5. The Steps Ahead: What tools will we provide (apart from reviews) to discuss about Flipkart?

Changes To Reviews, Additional Parameters
As rightly mentioned, we are selling an online experience. Some plans that are in the works to facilitate discussion and neutrality:

1. A “Verified Purchase” badge, to add credibility to reviewers/reviews.
2. A Q-&-A section, for doubts users may have with regards to products, policies and service.
3. An independent Forum, moderated equally by employees as well as users.

Whether positive or negative, we need to create a space for people to voice their opinions. Most things at Flipkart are far from being perfect and our intent is to work towards improving & making things better. We need to take feedback & constantly improve.

It happens to some extent but needs to be better.

Posted in Inside the Cart | 21 Comments

Interview: Chasing the dragon with Amitav Ghosh

By Sailen | Published: June 22, 2011

In Pic: Amitav Ghosh

In Pic: Amitav Ghosh

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart, Amitav Ghosh talks about his need to write and print on good paper, the inspirations for his diverse range of characters, his interest in the opium trade of the 19th century and his latest in the Ibis Trilogy - ‘River of Smoke’…

Would you say growing up in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is part of the explanation for your lush descriptions of settings and your multicultural character driven writing?
The experience of living in many different places has certainly had an impact on the way I look at the world. And you may well be right in attributing it to my interest in cultural differences and exchanges. I also travel a great deal so that I can have a proper sense of the places I’m writing about: Mauritius, China, Singapore etc.

Based on your writings, you have a deep bond with the Far East and its cultural connection with India, where does this interest come from?
It may be because I am from eastern India – countries such as Burma, Cambodia and Indonesia have particularly close connections with Orissa and Bengal.

From Sea of Poppies, where is the reader taken with River of Smoke? Who are the new characters and who will we be reacquainted with?
River of Smoke heads in a new direction: towards southern China – the city of Canton (now known as Guangzhou) in particular. Its principal protagonist is Bahram Modi, the father of Ah Fatt, the half-Chinese convict in Sea of Poppies.

The Ibis Trilogy focuses on the Indian diaspora and the migration of laborers; what fascinated you about this time in India’s history?
Sea of Poppies began as a book of departures. I have myself traveled a great deal but oddly enough I have become more interested in departures than in arrivals. I wanted to understand what it was like for deeply-rooted people from India’s heartland to travel across the seas (which they thought of as the ‘Kalapani’). It took a great deal of courage to undertake such a journey – this is one of the reasons why I am fascinated by the migration of laborers.

What is it about the opium trade of the 19th century that made you decide to base a trilogy of novels around it and why a ship as the central symbol?
Opium played a decisive role in the history of 19th and early 20th century Asia. It was one of the financial pillars of the British Raj and it had catastrophic consequences for Chinese society. No other commodity (except perhaps oil in the 20th century) has had such a decisive impact on history. In terms of the Ibis as a central symbol, I have always been interested in boats and ships – this must have something to do with being from a part of the country where rivers are of prime importance.

Your books are filled with rich, colourful characters, do you find yourself basing them on real people from past and present?
Some of my characters are indeed based upon real people. Neel Haldar (who figures in ‘Sea of Poppies’ as well as ‘River of Smoke’) was based upon a character I came across in the Calcutta judicial records of the 1820s – a rich zamindar who was convicted of forgery and sent into exile.

Do you have any quirky habits when it comes to your writing process?
I do most of my writing by hand and I am quite obsessive about paper, ink, pens and so on. It is very hard to write at length with a fountain pen if it does not have a good nib, so I pay a lot of attention to that. But at a certain stage I do move to the computer, but even then, I like to have good paper (of at least 100 GSM) when I am printing out. For some reason it is often quite difficult to get 100 GSM paper in Goa, so I often have to get it from Mumbai or Kolkata. Friends who come to visit are sometimes astonished to be asked to bring paper.

What advice would you give to budding writers looking to get published?
The most important thing is to write a good book.

What book are you currently reading?
Peter Robb: A Death in Brazil

~

River of Smoke (2011)

River of Smoke (2011)

After a three year wait, master storyteller Amitav Ghosh is back with his second book in the epic Ibis Trilogy, River of Smoke, the sequel to Sea of Poppies. Rooted during the eve of the Opium Wars and following a kaleidescope of characters traveling through trade routes between India and China, Amitav Ghosh’s opus is shaping up to be a historical, cultural and literary marvel.

After taking you on a dramatic voyage through the Ganges and the Indian Ocean in ‘Sea of Poppies’, we now dock in the hustle and bustle of the Chinese port-city Canton in ‘River of Smoke’. Centered around the Parsi opium trader, Bahram Modi, his estranged half-Chinese son, Ah Fatt and the orphan botanist Paulette - the book, much like it’s predecessor, is set around engaging characters in a colonial backdrop, many of whom are trying to make sense of (and profit from) the volatile opium trade.

Settings drenched with lush descriptions of the British Raj seeping into the Orient, a melting-pot of characters driven by romance and riches, and entertaining dialogue thriving on colloquial wordplay - ‘River of Smoke’ is a mesmerizing re-telling of history combined with a captivating plot. It is a rich addition to a thoroughly entertaining trilogy showcasing an everyman outlook on the Opium Wars of the 19th century.

~

Buy Amitav Ghosh’s latest novel ‘River of Smoke’ on Flipkart

Browse through the published works of Amitav Ghosh

Check out Amitav Ghosh’s official website

Posted in Tête-à-Tête | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Interview: Ashwin Sanghi - Fiction that sounds like fact

By Sailen | Published: March 9, 2011
In Pic: Ashwin Sanghi

In Pic: Ashwin Sanghi

An author who thrives on the amalgamation of history and fiction - Ashwin Sanghi (AKA Shawn Haigins) knows just the right formula to write an addictive thriller that keeps you at the edge but also provides you with juicy nuggets of historical factoids. In his first book The Rozabal Line, he puts forth the possibility that Jesus could have spent his latter years in India; at the same time, tying in a story of jihadis with similarities to the 12 apostles. In his latest book Chanakya’s Chant, Sanghi explores a fascinating personality from India’s history - the wily, genius, political strategist Chanakya and in parallel, ties it in with the story of Gangasagar Mishra, Chanakya’s fictional contemporary moniker.

With an abundance of research under his belt, Ashwin Sanghi is an inquisitive writer, who can flawlessly bound a fast paced plot structure with the rich factual background of his real life characters. His books are essential for a reader who enjoys modern thrillers, just as much as they enjoy a well written piece of history. It’s easy reading with a fine balance of entertainment and knowledge.

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart - acclaimed author Ashwin Sanghi talks about his inspirations, ‘fiction that sounds like fact’, his two historical thrillers - The Rozabal Line and Chanakya’s Chant, the similarities between Machiavelli and the great Chanakya, his pseudonym pen-name Shawn Haigins and much more!

Who is Ashwin Sanghi and what makes him tick?
The person in question suffers from multiple personality disorder. One of his personalities is Ashwin Sanghi, who is a Mumbai-born businessman with an MBA from Yale. That is his boring avatar. At night, however, Ashwin Sanghi morphs into Shawn Haigins, his alter ego. A peg of whiskey and a notebook computer rule his world each night for several hours. What makes the author in him tick? It’s probably the whiskey!

An entrepreneur by profession, who or what has inspired you to become a writer?
My passion for reading was ignited when my maternal grandfather would bombard me with books that were far ahead of my time. He would insist that after reading every book I must write a letter detailing what I liked and what I didn’t. In the beginning, it was a tedious process but my imagination and knowledge increased over the years. It’s precisely for this reason that I believe in the blessings of my ancestors moving my pen.

In a nutshell, how would you describe yourself as a writer?
The things that fascinate me are usually rooted in history, mythology, politics and religion. I’m assuming that this fundamental DNA would not change in my future novels. Although these topics pique my interest, I do not see myself as someone who can simply write historical or mythological fiction unless the subject has some relevance to the present day. Even though The Rozabal Line explored the possibility that Jesus Christ may have survived the crucifixion and may have traveled to India, the story was propelled forward by the modern-day story of a group of Islamic terrorists who are funded by the Illuminati. Similarly, with Chanakya’s Chant, it’s not the simple retelling of a historical tale but the linking of that ancient historical tale to present-day Indian politics that excites me.

You talk about ‘fiction that sounds like fact‘ — sounds like a genre on its own, can you elaborate?
Think about it. You switch on the TV to watch the evening news. Which news channel are you most likely to see? Provided that you do not have a pre-determined channel affinity, you are probably going to see the channel that happens to be breaking sensational news. Increasingly, we want to hear fact that sounds like fiction, which is precisely why stories like the Jessica Lall murder case, the Nithari serial killings, or the Arushi Talwar double murder interest us. They all sound like the plot of an Ian Rankin murder mystery. The converse is also true. Not only are we more interested in fact that sounds like fiction, we relate better to fiction that sounds like fact. So, if I have to create a plot in the present-day, it should be as close to the sort of story that you would read with your morning cuppa.

How does history play an integral role in your brand of fiction?
In the eighteenth century, it was Edmund Burke who famously said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” I find that when I observe current events around me, I instinctively correlate these with events that happened in the past. When I read about modern-day conflicts between Islam and the western world, I can’t help thinking of the religious Crusades that were fought for most of the three hundred years following the eleventh century. When I read about the Nithari serial killings, I begin to mull over the terror that Jack the Ripper caused in England in 1888. When I watch the IPL allegations on TV and the consequent damage that it may have done to the reputation of cricket, I think about the Black Sox scandal that almost ruined baseball in 1919. When I hear about scams like those of the CWG or telecom, I correlate them to the Railroad Bubble. History inevitably repeats itself, one simply needs to observe the patterns. This pattern is what interests me most and this is what is central to my fiction.

On The Rozabal Line

The Rozabal Line (2007/2008)

What is The Rozabal Line about?
In 1999 I read Holy Blood Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. It was through this book that the notion that Jesus may have left behind a bloodline first came to my attention. A couple of years later, I read Holger Kersten’s Jesus Lived in India and was fascinated with the idea that Jesus could have been inspired by Buddhism and that he may have drawn much of his spiritual learning from India. I began to wonder whether I could marry the two theories i.e. that he survived the crucifixion and traveled to India and that he left behind a bloodline. In a nutshell, that’s the core of The Rozabal Line.

Why did you pick Jesus Christ as a central character for your first novel?
I don’t think that I picked the topic, as much as the topic picked me. After visiting the Rozabal shrine in Srinagar, I spent the next two years reading each and every book that I could acquire on this particular topic and related material viz. the possibility of Jesus having spent his missing years as a youth studying in India, the theory that Jesus did not die on the cross and that he was whisked away to safety, and the notion that Jesus traveled to India to reunite with the lost tribes of Israel who had settled in Kashmir. In all, I read around forty books during this time besides scouring the Internet for any information that I could possibly find. By the time that I was done with my reading, I did not have any alternative but to find a way to present all the disparate threads of information via a single book. I started writing The Rozabal Line in 2005 and finished it eighteen months later.

Was there a specific message you were trying to convey with this book?
I’m not a religious person. I’m spiritual in the sense that I believe in the essence of “do no harm” as well as the theory of karmic debt, but that does not translate into being someone who prostrates himself daily inside a temple. I am equally comfortable inside a church or dargah as I am inside a temple. In fact, it is this openness that allows me to explore the question “Where did this idea emerge from?” Thus, The Rozabal Line is not a story about Jesus Christ surviving the crucifixion and traveling to Kashmir; it is a story about how human beliefs and ideas have been freely absorbed and assimilated down the ages, and how such inter-faith borrowing has shaped our ideas and beliefs in the present day. This was the primary message of the book. Unfortunately it ended up being seen as a desi Da Vinci Code by some.

Are you of the belief that Jesus moved to India after the crucifixion?
My personal belief is that it is irrelevant whether Rozabal is indeed the actual tomb of Jesus or not. For me, personally, Rozabal represents an “alternative story”. It is representative of the possibility that the story contained in the four canonical gospels may be the truth but not necessarily the whole truth. It is also symbolic of many facets of the Christian faith that have been obliterated down the ages. The fact that the lost tribes of Israel certainly had a connection with India, the fact that early Christianity drew inspiration from other faiths such as Buddhism, the fact that Jesus may have been one the greatest men that walked on earth, but a man nonetheless. As a writer of fiction, I find the notion that Jesus traveled to India extremely exciting — even romantic. Having read virtually every book on the subject I can freely admit that there are enough arguments favouring both sides of the debate and hence what you conclude from the book is usually a matter of personal faith.

What has the reaction for the novel been like? For some it could make for a fascinating story, for others it could be considered grossly blasphemous…
I am now quite used to being blessed and damned, praised and criticized, believed and disbelieved, all within the span of a single day. I could never have imagined that my novel would be so successful when I wrote it. When I completed it in 2005, I spent a year trying to find a publisher. I was unsuccessful in my quest and out of sheer frustration decided to self-publish the novel so that it would become available on international book retail sites. I had never imagined that this particular self-published book would fall into the hands of Gautam Padmanabhan and Hemu Ramiah at Westland and that they would love it. Even when Westland decided to publish the book in 2008, I could not have imagined that it would become a bestseller. The Rozabal Line is a book that you will either love or hate, depending upon your own beliefs and values; love it or hate it, you cannot ignore it.

On Chanakya’s Chant

Buy Chanakya's Chant on FlipkartTell us about Chanakya’s Chant’s plot?
There are two parallel stories that are narrated in Chanakya’s Chant. The first is the story of Chanakya, 2300 years ago. It is a fictional retelling of the political machinations that brought Chandragupta Maurya to the throne. The second is a modern-day tale of a Brahmin from Uttar Pradesh—Gangasagar Mishra—who decides that a poor girl from a Kanpur slum is the ideal candidate to be made Prime Minister of India. The contemporary tale describes the strategies employed by Gangasagar to bring his dream to fruition.

For those who might not know, give us a little history on your main character—Chanakya. What was it about his character that you found fascinating?
Chanakya is often called India’s Machiavelli, although my personal view would be that Niccolò Machiavelli was Europe’s Chanakya. Chanakya was probably the greatest political strategist that ever lived and was credited with having engineered the downfall of the Nanda dynasty and the installation of Chandragupta Maurya to the throne of Magadha around 320 BC. As a writer of fiction, I find Chanakya’s personality and character extremely interesting. Here’s someone who penned reams of statements on government policy, statecraft, strategy and diplomacy almost 1800 years before Machiavelli! Just as a photographer searches for the perfect picture, I find myself searching for complex characters… preferably characters that are multi-hued and thus difficult to characterize as good or bad. Chanakya was efficient yet ruthless, principled yet amoral, intelligent yet devious, magnanimous yet vengeful. In short, the ideal complex character for a novel!

How did you go about developing Chanakya’s contemporary moniker - Gangasagar Mishra.
That was easy! All one had to do was to study some of the political strategies that have been adopted in the past twenty-five years and coalesce them into the strategies of a single character. Gangasagar Mishra is a product that has been derived by melting the personalities, character traits and behavior of many real life politicians down the ages into a single unifying character.

The story has been written in parallel time lines - how have you connected the modern with the medieval?
The ancient story ends with a riddle and a mantra — a chant. That chant holds the power to actualize a leader in the present. It’s the chant that connects the past and the present, hence the title— Chanakya’s Chant.

In 140 characters - what can the reader expect from Chanakya’s Chant?
“It’s a fast-paced page turner. A political thriller inspired by the machinations of Chanakya. Masala fiction with a splash of history.”

General

Tell us the story behind your pseudonym, Shawn Haigins. Why did you choose to use one and how did you come about choosing the name? Has it made a commercial difference?
As you know, I am not a writer by profession. I was born and brought up in a business environment. I started working when I was 16 and completed my MBA when I was 22. By the time that I completed writing my debut novel, The Rozabal Line, in 2006, I had already been in business for over 20 years. The decision to use a pen name was nothing more than a desire to compartmentalize my life so that my entrepreneurial dimension would remain distinct and separate from my literary one. However, I had not thought about an appropriate pseudonym to use until I actually completed the novel.

As you know, there’s an abundance of anagrams in my novel and the idea struck me: why not use an anagram of my real name as a pseudonym? Hence my first novel was written under the name “Shawn Haigins”, an anagram of my real name “Ashwin Sanghi”. When Tata-Westland decided to publish the novel in India they insisted that it had to be published under my real name given the fact that the novel in question involved a sensitive subject. As it turns out, that wasn’t such a bad idea. My publishers now joke that I was originally a businessman who was also an author and that now I’m an author who is also a businessman. I continue to use the pseudonym “Shawn Haigins” on my Facebook page but my books are marketed under my real name only.

How is one able to blend nonfiction with fiction convincingly for the readers?
What makes a good Martini? Is it the vodka or the dry vermouth? I like to think that the fiction in my books is the vodka and that the nonfiction is the vermouth. In a Martini, if you add too much vermouth, it won’t be dry enough; add too little and the Martini won’t be as smooth. The key lies in introducing the vermouth in perfectly calibrated amounts. In like fashion one needs to pepper fiction with nonfiction just to the extent that it makes the fiction sounds plausible. Overdo one or the other, and you’ve killed the story… and that’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but vermouth!

What kind of research went behind your two books, essentially the backbone is history…
The research involved in writing The Rozabal Line was much more exhaustive than that of Chanakya’s Chant. This was simply due to the fact that one had to tread very carefully when writing fiction that touched upon someone’s faith. I had less concerns when it came to writing about the political confabulations of Chanakya.

With The Rozabal Line, I found that there was a wealth of information that I could dip into. Some of this information was available in excellent books that had covered various issues such as the Jesus in India hypothesis, the historical Jesus, and the interplay of mythologies and religious beliefs in the evolution of the character of Jesus. Books such as Jesus Lived in India by Holger Kersten, Jesus in Kashmir: The Lost Tomb by Suzanne Olsson, The Fifth Gospel by Fida Hassnain, The Unknown Life of Jesus by Nicolas Notovich and The Lost Years of Jesus by Elizabeth Clare Prophet were very important in building the framework of the story. Other books such as The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold by S. Acharya and The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviours by Kersey Graves were important from the angle of building the “alternative hypothesis” around the canonical Jesus. I spent most of 2003 and 2004 reading every book that I could lay my hands on (around 40+). These books are listed at the back of my novel. I only started writing in 2005 after I had completed reading these books.

With Chanakya’s Chant, the research was at two levels because, as you know, there are two parallel stories in this book. The first one traces the rise of Chanakya 2300 years ago and ends with him having succeeded in installing Chandragupta Maurya to the throne. The second traces the life of Gangasagar Mishra a Brahmin teacher from Uttar Pradesh who makes it his life’s purpose to make a girl from a slum into the country’s prime minister. The ancient story required historical reading, including the Arthashastra as well as several other books penned on Chanakya. I also read an English translation of the Mudrarakshasa — a historical play in Sanskrit by Vishakhadatta who lived in the 4th century. The modern-day story simply involved lots of newspaper reading. The drama of politics is enacted before us each day in the front pages… one doesn’t need to stray any further!

Advice to people who would like to start pursuing writing as a secondary career?
My advice is as follows: (A) Choose the right time in your life to pursue writing as a secondary career. It’s impractical to do it if you are financially insecure or are at the very beginning of a career graph. There’s not much to be earned financially as a writer, especially in the early days, and hence this is an option better pursued when one is better settled in life.
(B) Having chosen to pursue a parallel career in writing, do not allow either of your professions to eat into the time of the other. Both are equally important and it does not make sense to allow your literary pursuits to creep into your daytime job or vice-versa.
(C) Be clear on which job feeds your stomach and which one feeds your soul. Without that clarity in place you are more likely to end up dissatisfied with both careers.

Do you have any quirky habits when it comes to getting down to writing?
If I write in the morning, I light an incense stick for a minute of prayer, brew a mug of coffee and then sit down to write. If I write late at night, I light a Hoyo de Monterrey cigar to start the contemplative process, pour myself a finger of whiskey and then sit down to write! Notice the pattern?

Three books that changed your life and why?
All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren: It was the one that got me interested in politics.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: It taught me about wine, women and song—and God!
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: It made me realize that there isn’t much difference between sex and politics!

What are you currently reading?
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

~

Buy The Rozabal Line on Flipkart

Buy Chanakya’s Chant on Flipkart

Follow Ashwin Sanghi on Twitter

Ashwin Sanghi on Facebook

Posted in Tête-à-Tête | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Interview: Jeffrey Archer - Quite simply, a story-teller

By Sailen | Published: March 4, 2011
In Pic: Jeffrey Archer

In Pic: Jeffrey Archer

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart, world renowned author Jeffrey Archer talks about his latest bestseller - Only Time Will Tell, his books which have been adapted for TV, traveling in India, favorite Indian authors, a Cricket WC prediction and much more!

An introduction with Jeffrey Archer

What makes Jeffrey Archer tick?
Immense energy and a fascination with life.

Was there a particular person who inspired you to become a writer?
Alan Quilter, to whom Only Time Will Tell is dedicated – he was my English teacher at school.

As an author, how would you describe yourself?
I am quite simply, a story-teller.

Do you find that non-fiction/history tends to seep into the fiction you write?
Yes, it’s inevitable.

Any habits when it comes to getting down to writing? I notice you’re writing your latest work in Majorca…
I always go to my home in Majorca to write, because it’s quiet and there are no distractions there.  I have a writing room that I use which overlooks the sea, and I write in two-hour blocks every day, from 6-8am, 10-12noon, 2-4pm, 6-8pm with a break in between each two hour session to eat or go for a walk.

After over three decades in publishing - what kind of audience do you have?
My audience is 60% women/40% men and ranges in ages from 7 to 107!

The books of Jeffrey Archer

If there was one of your books you could recommend to a new reader, what would it be and why?
Start with the first book I ever wrote, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less.

Kane & Abel marked a monumental step up in your career as a writer…
My life changed completely after the publication of Kane & Abel, which is now on its 84th reprint and has been read by 50 million people in India alone.

The Gospel According To Judas was an extremely unique, some would argue controversial book - what gave you the idea to write this?
I found it fascinating that Jesus chose 12 disciples and one of them could have been a bad man, so I tried to see the events in the Gospels through Judas’ eyes.

Your first set of non-fiction books were based on your experience in prison - can you tell us what the Prison Diaries are about and what message you were trying to convey?
There is no message, the Prison Diaries simply convey what life is like in a British prison.

Have you been happy with the TV-movie adaptations of your books? As an author whose book is being made into a movie and being put in the hands of a director, what is that like?
Three of my books have been adapted for television: First Among Equals, Not A Penny, and Kane & Abel.  I was very disappointed with the BBC’s adaptation of Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, but ITV won several awards for First Among Equals, and Kane & Abel was watched by 17 million people when it was first televised, mind you, there were only 3 TV stations in those days; the original series has also just been released for the first time on DVD.

You have written solid collections of short stories over the years. Do you make a concerted effort that all the stories are connected in some way?
I enjoy writing short stories, although they have no connection with each other.  I come up with stories inspired by people I meet, something that’s happened, or even from a passing comment someone has told me.  I have learnt a great deal from your own distinguished storyteller, R K Narayan.

In your latest book of short stories, And Thereby Hangs a Tale, you’ve written about India and Indian characters, what was the inspiration behind this?
My Indian story, Caste-Off, is a true story inspired by two friends of mine, which made it all the more interesting to write.

Tell us about your upcoming project the ‘Clifton Chronicles’ and its first volume Only Time Will Tell.
The Clifton Chronicles is a five book saga of which ‘Only Time Will Tell’ is the first volume. They story will span the years from 1920 to 2020, and follow the hero, Harry Clifton, and his life from his birth in the backs streets of Bristol, through his time at Oxford University and to the outbreak of war.

Misc.

Tell us about your experience as a PE teacher in your early days.
I’ve always enjoyed physical activity – athletics, rugby, and cricket – and there was a short period of time during which I took a PE teaching job.

Advice to young writers who would like to start pursuing it as a career?
I would suggest starting with a short story before attempting a novel.  I didn’t write my first book until I was 34.

A staunch cricket fan - any predictions for the World Cup, can you comment on India’s chances?
I think the final will be between India and South Africa, and I predict India will win.

You’ve visited India on numerous occasions - what has the overall experience been like and what are the glaring changes you notice with each visit?
I always enjoy coming to India where the people are welcoming and friendly. I notice with each visit that while the rest of the world is staying still, India is one of those countries that is clearly progressing.

Are there any Indian authors you pay close attention to?
R K Narayan, Vikram Seth, V S Naipaul.

Three movies you can watch over and over again?
A Man for All Seasons, Twelve Angry Men, Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Three books that changed your life?
The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities and any of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short stories.

What are you currently reading?
The Hare with the Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal.

~

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Interview: Manta Ray’s Pratheek Thomas on telling a good story

By Sailen | Published: February 25, 2011
Hush (2010)

Hush (2010)

After taking India’s inaugural Comic Con by storm - Manta Ray are coming along in a big way. Besides creating a proper buzz for the publication, it was great to see their debut release, Hush, sell out at the convention. We did a preview of ‘Hush’ in our Alternative Graphic Novels list and interestingly, it garnered the most attention from our readers. ‘Hush’ is a dark and intricate novella, that doesn’t rely on words (at all). Purely through its beautifully ambiguous art, it’s the reader who naturally formulates the comic’s message (instead of having it spelled out for you). The subjectivity of Hush’s art and the themes conveyed resonates powerfully from within and this makes for an intensely deep debut release from Manta Ray.

Going through this interview you really feel true passion for the comic medium pouring out of Manta Ray’s founder, Pratheek Thomas. With Hush and Manta Ray, it feels like we’re ushering in a new era in graphic novels here in India… and this is worth discussing.

In Pic: Manta Ray's Prateek Thomas

In Pic: Manta Ray's Pratheek Thomas

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart - Pratheek Thomas talks about his new publication house Manta Ray, his debut graphic novel novella Hush and its artist Rajiv Eipe, graphic novels in India, the recent Comic Con held in Delhi and much more…

In a nutshell, who is Pratheek Thomas and what makes him tick?
Pratheek Thomas is an aspiring storyteller. I’ve just started telling my stories to a real audience and there is a lot of learning to do along the way. By education, I’m a mechanical engineer who moved on to Product Design at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad… who since then, had been primarily been employed as a storyteller. The first few years after college, I conceptualized rides and attractions in a theme park project. Then did some writing (stories and animation scripts) for children and finally, started Manta Ray with Dileep Cherian.

What makes me tick? Hmm… Stories, for sure. It’s the one thing that connects us all! From early man, to the last humans who will walk this planet, that’s one thing we’ll never stop doing… telling stories. And people. We come in so many different shapes and sizes and colours, with varied aspirations and beliefs and desires and we’re all living our own stories, one day at a time, that is really fascinating. You put these two together - telling stories and people - it’s such a potent mix! To create stories about people, to tell new stories and also re-tell old stories, the entire act of creation, that’s exhilarating!

Who and what inspired you to become a writer?
There probably isn’t any one person (or incident) who inspired me to become a writer. I guess it’s the stories I’ve read, the movies I’ve seen, that inspired me and still do. What amazes me is the power of a story or a movie (or any other form of storytelling, for that matter) to transport the reader, the audience into a whole new world. If it’s a good story or movie, you’re almost living in that world for the length of that story. That in itself, is a huge inspiration.

I’ve always been writing since my childhood, mostly in spurts, so it took me some time to realize that storytelling is what I wanted to do. When I look back now, I can see how most of the choices I made led me to this point… kind of like, connecting the dots, in hindsight.

What’s the story behind setting up your publishing house - Manta Ray?
Manta Ray happened after Hush, actually. Vivek (my brother) had shared this story idea he had for a short film and I told him that I’d like to adapt it into a comic, which he could then show around if he was looking at producers for funding his short. So once Rajiv (we studied together at NID) came on board, I started writing Hush. At that point, I’d thought of doing it in a mini-comic way - take xerox copies of the book and put it out in local bookstores, where people could pick up a copy. All I was looking for at that point was feedback about the story, art etc.

As I was writing the script, I told Dileep (who’s a very close friend from my engineering days) what I was doing. We started discussing the comics scenario in India (I’d already done my research on what was happening here) and decided to come together and start Manta Ray.

Can you give us some insight on the kind of work that goes into setting up an indie publishing house?
I’d always wanted to do something with books - maybe a small, intimate bookshop, or a library where people could just walk in and sit there and read a book. As early as 2007, I’d toyed with the idea of starting a publishing house, but didn’t think it would be possible.

Neways.

The most important thing is that you should want to do this. You should love books and you should have your own voice - there are so many publishers out there, so what is it that makes your voice unique? These are very important questions. Especially today, when people are prophesying the end of the printed book and even reading. Also, publishing is not a way to make a quick buck. It takes (at least) a few years to really get established and steady. You have to be ready for that journey. During that time, with everything you bring out, your voice should be seen and heard and make an impact.

With a comic book publishing house, it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, there are very few publishers in India who are focusing exclusively on comics. On the other hand, this is also because the comic book reading community in India is small today. So, you need to find ways to go beyond this small community. Also, you need to find good writers, good artists, good letterers - comics are all about team work, so you need to build and nurture such teams to create an environment for this.

And of course, tell ‘good stories’.

What is your vision for Manta Ray and who is Manta Ray’s target audience?
We want to tell good stories. I know ‘good’ is a very subjective term but I guess what I’m trying to say is that Dileep and I want to tell stories that we ourselves like to read and are excited about. Only then, will we believe in these stories and do our 200% to bring them out in the best possible way. We also want to be a platform for creators to tell their stories. From my NID years, I know that there is immense talent in India and many of them are never even heard or seen. We’d like to change that. At least for the creators who want to tell stories in comics or illustrated mediums.

Anyone and everyone who likes a good story - that is our target audience. I think, in India, people tend to see comics in three broad categories: mythology, superhero or kids. So a lot of people, a lot of readers, ignore comics completely. We’d like to show readers that you can tell stories outside of these categories. You can tell engaging, interesting, exciting, moving stories in comics too. We’d like them to discover - through Manta Ray’s books - that comics can also tell good stories, stories they would like to read, even if they’ve never read a comic book before.

On “Hush”

Hush - Alternative Cover

It was a brave move releasing Manta Ray’s first graphic novel novella with no words - what was the reasoning behind this?
Hush is, in our eyes, a graphic short story or a graphic novella, but not a novel. The difference being that novels usually imply a large number of pages of story and Hush is not that. We’ve tried to make that clear in all our communication so far, but sometimes, it is still called a graphic novel, so I just wanted to clarify that.

The decision to go silent was a very conscious one. The story demanded that it be told with no words. It was clear from the moment I started working on it and with Rajiv at the helm, it was the right decision.

Tell us about the artist Rajiv Eipe - how would you describe his style and work?

In Pic: Hush Artist - Rajiv Epie

In Pic: Rajiv Eipe

Rajiv is one of the most versatile artists I have met and he’s also one of the most generous, down-to-earth people I know. He’s got this ability to connect with the story deeply… he engages with the story and characters completely and that shows in everything he does. His dedication to a project is unfaltering, his work ethic is one that is very rarely seen in most people.

On Hush for example, being our first book and my first story, we had many rounds of discussions and were constantly tweaking small details here and there, to make sure that it communicated everything we wanted to say. When we were ready to bring the book out, Rajiv also created 3 fantastic videos trailers…

He’s one of the reasons I’m writing comics. Just the chance to collaborate with him and create something, that’s the reward in itself.

Without giving away anything - what are the central themes of Hush? What was the message you and Rajiv were trying to convey?
I wonder if I’m able to talk about Hush without giving it away! Let me try… Hush is about a shooting in a high school. It’s not a Columbine like massacre, it’s not even inspired by any of that. The shooting is a storyteller’s device. We haven’t had anything like this in India, so far… though there have been instances where students have shot a classmate or friend of theirs because of a grudge or argument.

But the story isn’t really about the shooting. It’s why this girl takes a gun and decides to do it. That’s the question. I’ll be the first one to say that the answer to this question is not something that will surprise us as readers… it’s something all of us know about, BUT, what’s more important is that we do not talk about it. We pretend that it doesn’t exist, we maintain our silence about it, we ‘hush’ it up.

Hush’s imagery is reminiscent of all the school shootings from America that we only read about, how do you think it’s relevant to bring this to an Indian audience?
The only connection Hush has to the school shootings that we’ve read/ heard about, is that a student (Maya, in this case) takes a gun and kills someone in her school. The similarities end there. In recent years, I’ve been reading about stray incidents where students in India are shooting, even killing a classmate because they had an argument or fight. So, I think it’s not so unimaginable that Maya, pushed to the extent that she is, surrounded by the climate of denial and silence, would choose to do something as extreme as take a gun, at least to protect her loved ones.

But, like I was saying, more than the act of shooting, the act that drives her to this extreme… I think it’s relevant to speak about that and that is why Hush exists.

A month on since the release - what has the feedback and overall reaction been for Hush?
I’m really happy to say that the feedback has been very positive… be it from friends, newspapers that have featured the book, readers. From our point of view - especially as a small, indie publisher - Hush is doing well.

The art has been universally praised and I’m very very happy for that… Rajiv’s illustrations in Hush are just beautiful. I don’t know if anyone else could have rendered this story with all its impact - without any words to support it. Rajiv is the real star of Hush, we just gave him a story and a platform where he could really shine.

And, of course, with bouquets come the brickbats too…

The story is not new - this is something that’s being said and like I said earlier, I’ll be the first one to say that. But some things NEED to be talked about, whether you already know of it or not. It’s a story that as a writer, I wanted to tell. As a publisher, Hush was a story that Manta Ray wanted to showcase.

There have also been some comments on the pricing, which some people say is very high for a short story that Hush is. And I’d like to use this question as a platform to elaborate on this.  If one were to factor in only the printing cost and the discounts of distributors/retailers, the price point of Rs.195/- barely covers it. I’d like to be very honest here… Manta Ray makes nothing from the sales of Hush. So, Hush is not a money-making book for us and this is not why we did this book.

Hush is a story that we believed in and as our debut book, we wanted to make it special. So, it is a short story and we decided to bring it out in a limited edition print, because, we feel that Hush is a book for keeping. If you look at it, Hush is a high production value book, it’s printed on premium paper and at the best printers in India… all of these, definitely contribute to how the story come to life on the pages of the book.

It has to be said the entire package of Hush is very classy - thick paper, vibrant print, extensive commentary from the artist, writer, editors - can we expect this format for all Manta Ray releases?
Thank you, Sailen! Yes, we put a LOT of effort and time to craft it into this premium format. I’d say that our readers can expect a very high standard of quality in all Manta Ray releases - it may not be in this same format or the same paper… but our stories will be brought to life by artists with immense talent and potential. There will definitely be commentaries by the creators, sometimes even extensive coverage of how certain stories were created. We aim to bring out really good comics and we are committed to that goal.

General

Producing graphic novels is still in its budding phase here in India - is there a reason India is a bit late on the bandwagon, even though there is massive readership in this country for the stuff that comes from the West?
In 2009, someone (in the publishing business) once told me that, “Everyone knows that the graphic novel is a very powerful beast… just that no one wants to take the risk or riding it”.

If you look at it, many of the creators, upcoming publishers in the field today are young adults - who are in their late 20s, early 30s - and it’s quite possible that this is the same generation that had the access all this stuff from the West when they were growing up. Now, they’re at that stage in life where they want to tell their own stories. They’re more entrepreneurial in spirit and are willing to follow their dream and ready to take the risk of riding the beast.

Tell us about your experience at Comic Con?  What were Manta Ray up to?
Comic Con was a BLAST! For one, the convention itself was organized quite well… I must congratulate Twenty Onwards on this. To organize something like this, for the first time, it was really good. I think the venue was also very well chosen - there were a lot of people who’d come to Dilli Haat who weren’t aware of the Comic Con, they got to see a lot of comics and I guess, they picked up some too.

Most of the comic book publishers had a stall at the event, but we’d decided not to have a stall, as we had only one title. We went to the convention with the intention of ‘looking and learning’ - to prepare for the next convention, when we’re hoping to have a lot more titles to showcase. We did stock the books at the Comic Con stall and we also brought some merchandise with us - Manta Ray t-shirts and Hush badges.

I think from the word go, we were off to a great start - within the first hour of the convention, we were told (by the retail stalls) that Hush was flying off the shelves. In fact, Hush was completely sold out on both the days and honestly, this was unexpected and we were completely floored… didn’t really expect that!

We also had a session with the audience, where we talked about Manta Ray’s origins, Hush and the future… we officially kicked off our ‘The Answer is Here’ contest which is going to run for about a month and has some cool prizes to be won. But, I think one of the most enjoyable experiences for the team was the sketching sessions. The guest artists on Hush - Prabha and Manu (who paid us a surprise visit) were awesome… they just sketched their hearts out! It was wonderful to see readers and passers by connect with their spontaneous creations.

On the whole, we simply had loads of fun. It was a fantastic experience! :)

With Comic Con, has the graphic novel world reached a next-level in India?
I think we still have some way to go. The Comic Con is a small event, it needs to spread to other cities, like the metros and Bangalore. We need to see more vernacular content. We need to see more original creators. We need to see more reader-creator interaction and exchanges. It has to grow beyond the comic-reading audience and reach out to the book-loving audience. That’s when the medium will truly come of age.

From our experience there, I think we can say that, if you can tell a good story, with good art and produce it well, then there will be takers for it. In our estimate, a majority of the people who got Hush at the convention hadn’t heard about the book or Manta Ray before they came to the con. It goes to show how events like these are important, and also, how even a small, indie publisher or even a self-published creator can make an impact with audiences.

Are there any Indian graphic novels you would recommend?
I liked Amruta Patil’s Kari… Kashmir Pending (from Phantomville) was also quite good. And, though it’s not a typical graphic “novel”, Our Toxic World used the medium of comics to talk about the world we live in and create awareness.

Three movies you can watch over and over again?
Tough one!

Heima: A documentary film about Sigur Ros, an Icelandic band. I guess it’s their ethereal music that makes it so repeatedly watchable and inter cut with the conversations with the artists, it creates a nice balance… even if one were to just listen to it.

The Motorcycle Diaries: Walter Salles’ masterpiece. It’s the incredible true story of the man who would become Che portrayed by a terrific cast and Santaolalla’s music.

Before Sunrise/ Before Sunset: That’s two movies, but it’s really one movie too, in a way. A guy and a girl just walking and talking and talking and walking. It’s as simple and beautiful as that.

Three books that changed your life and why?
To Kill A Mockingbird: I think it’s the best book written, ever. I’ve always looked up to Atticus Finch - his integrity, compassion, inner quiet & sense of fairness & justice… you aspire for those virtues and qualities in your own life… in that sense, I’d say it changes you…

Endless Nights: This was the first Sandman collection I’d picked up. Until then I had only heard about the series and had no clue what it was about. I was traveling from Chennai to Ahmedabad and read it on the train… many times over. Up to this point, I’d only read the regular superhero stuff (Batman, Daredevil, Ronin)… but from here on, I started discovering the real stuff that comics can do. This book changed everything that I’d known about comics until then… and started me off on a whole new journey into comics.

Blue Pills: Not a lot of people know about this gem of a comic, I think. It’s by Frederik Peeters, and reading this was a life altering experience. It’s also the one graphic novel I’ve read the most number of times, I can just pick it up and read it whenever I want. It’s changed the way I look at people, at what ‘love’ really means, at what it means to be in a relationship with someone. It’s just… life altering… at least, it was for me.

What are you currently reading?
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and Y: The Last Man, Vol 4 (I never really figured what the big deal is about this series, and someone recently told me that the story picks up after the first few volumes, so I’m giving it another shot again)

What’s next for Manta Ray?
We’re coming out with a limited edition, b&w series… it’s a set of stories that have a common theme connecting them, but with no recurring characters. So you can read issue 4 without knowing 1, 2, 3 or having to read 5. It’s like a set of mini graphic-novels… only they’re under one banner. This should be out very soon, starting April, I think.

Then, hopefully, one (or maybe even two) more limited series (these are in colour). It’s too early to say anything about these, though. And maybe, a full-length graphic novel next year. We’d like to take things slow, build up on our strengths and put out books we believe in completely… so, let’s see :)

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Interview: HOMP’s Rocky and Mayur on our plate

By Sailen | Published: February 15, 2011

In Pic: HOMP's Mayur Sharma and Rocky Singh

In Pic: HOMP's Mayur Sharma and Rocky Singh

On TV they’ve taken you on their travels across India, truly immersing themselves into the cultures of the various unique states that make up the country. They focus their energy on an array of landmark dhabas, restaurants, bakeries, street vendors - introducing you to staple local delicacies, many of which are signature food symbols of the regions. More to the point, they do  it with chemistry, humour and knowledge. Even though they might look like twins, Rocky and Mayur represent a sort of yin and yang in their delivery; Rocky the outgoing describer, Mayur the subtle observer - it works for a brilliant combination on television.

~

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart, Highway On My Plate’s Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma talk about their immensely popular TV show, their debut food guide, traveling tips for a foodie and much more!

Who are Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma and what makes them tick?
Just two buddies who’ve lived down the road from each other since 1976. Food is definitely what keeps them ticking - travel, people, open spaces and wind in your hair - all good for the ticker.

What’s the story behind Highway On My Plate, how was the show conceptualized and developed?
It was conceptualized as a 13 parter for the GT road. It evolved into what it is today, due to the cult following it picked up and became a regular feature on the channel. We started simple, bit by bit, and it has become what it is today.

As travelers, food critics, TV presenters and now, writers - how are you different?
Here’s how we differ:
1. Rocky is a scuba dive master with over 400 dives. Mayur is a climber, mountaineer and has climbed several peaks including Kilimanjaro!
2. Mayur loves wine and subtle flavors. Rocky loves hugely spicy food and enjoys whiskey.
3. As TV presenters, you decide…
4. As for writers, our first book is info heavy with a huge amount of detail on roadside eating in India. We hope to write more and truly express our writing styles. Try and catch our writings in magazines and journals from time to time…

What drives your passion for food and travel?
We’ve been taking road trips since 1984 and it’s never slowed down from there on. We share a mutual love for the outdoors, forests, cultures and people - but it’s the amazing food on the streets of India that really drives it all.

Rocky a die-hard meat eater, Mayur a self-proclaimed veggie - has this ever been a cause of friction? Mayur, have you ever given-in and had a taste of the dark-side (non-veg)?
On the contrary, it’s a great relief to not be fighting over food! We have opposite tastes in most things, thankfully, cause last time we beat each other up, Mayur had a broken collar bone and Rocky had a couple of snapped ribs.

And no, Mayur does not eat meat! We must add here that Rocky avoids anything except meat as much as he can…

Tell us about the format of the book and how it’s different from the plethora of Indian food guides available; what makes Highway On My Plate (the book) unique?
There isn’t a single book in India that gives you the range, insights and information on so much food, so many eating places and such a huge insight into Indian street food as “HOMP - The Indian Guide to Roadside Eating”. The format is simple and usable and it packs a serious amount of information. Remember we have traveled over 65,000 km in 4 years and eaten more than a single meal at any place. Do the math, rest assured, there isn’t another book like it.

Was there a certain criteria you followed when it came to picking the different eateries that are profiled in the book?
The book covers only those eateries that we have covered on the show. These are the most famous, most popular and sometimes just randomly selected places.

Are the restaurants/dhabas featured in this book all good, or have you also named and shamed?
Our research team and both of us spend a lot of time finding the best places to eat in with great pains. These are the most famous eateries on the road and they get there by being very good always. But, we have also been to a few places that have been disastrous - the lowest rating on food on the show is 1 out of 10 given by me. Our ratings are brutally honest and straightforward.

What exactly do you mean by the ‘underlying philosophy behind a good meal’?
Food is about passion. It’s about the love put into its preparation, the effort put into its making, it’s about the places where tastes have the power to take you and about that satiated smile at the end of a good meal. Food has the power to affect us deeply. There is no greater love than the love of food - how’s that for an underlying philosophy? :)

It’s peculiar there is only one restaurant dedicated to Goa in the book!
The book is about episodes 1 to 100, Goa was only in one episode and it shared that episode with two other locations. We’ve rectified that problem in the show and dedicated one whole show to Goa. We will rectify it in part two of the book, hopefully on episodes 101-200, “HOMP, An Indian Guide to Roadside Eating Part II”.

Nominate one truly underrated state in India for its food and one truly overrated state, and tell us why.
Assam is truly underrated, as not enough people go there or know so much about its food. Assamese cuisine is rich, varied, vast and unique. It deserves a lot more recognition. As for overrated, there isn’t one. The food of India, in its famous ‘food’ states is incredible. Get out there and eat as much of it as you can!

Having finished your travels for the international edition of the show, is it fair to say Indian street food still ranks on top for the two of you?
Undoubtedly. There is no comparison. We ate in Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. It’s amazing to see how much of an Indian influence is there in the cuisine of these countries. So yes, it’s still Indian food that’s number one!

What’s been your wackiest most unusual experience while you’ve been on the road?
Meeting a whole bunch of foreigners from all over the world who live in an ashram in Kullu and follow HOMP on a routine basis. They have all devoted their lives to their ashram and taken Indian names. Most of them are food lovers and one has even written a book on Indian food. But most of all, the have Indian sensibilities and the love, warmth and ‘apnapan’ we received, made it a truly unique experience. If you watched the Kullu show you will know what I mean.

This might be an unfair question, but if there was one roadside meal that defined India - what would it be?
Chowmein! hahaha just kidding… India’s unity lies in its diversity and so does India’s food. The parantha is available across this country but we’re too big and too much of a food powerhouse to be defined by one meal, or even one cuisine!

Advice to all foodie-travelers who are looking to be India’s Anthony Bourdain?
Anthony Bourdain would die if he ate on Indian streets for a week… So please, don’t go down that path. No foreign palette is capable of eating the spices, the sweets and the street-side snacks of India. This taste is totally out of their range. So please, get into Indian food. Learn all you can about it. Understand its eccentricities and peculiarities and blaze your own trail. We did and it’s not so bad to be doing it - hit the road and bring your plate. :)

5 essential traveling tips for a foodie.
1. Carry your own water.
2. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different foods/ingredients etc.
3. It’s about the journey and not the destination.
4. Go to crowded eateries, so many people can’t be wrong.
5. Don’t be too quick to judge - give everything a chance before making a decision.

Three books that changed your life and why?
1. Highway On My Plate – The Indian Guide to Roadside Eating: It’s our book and we learnt so much more about Indian food writing this book.
2. Jonathan Livingston – Seagull: Beyond all boundaries lies freedom. Claim it and go where no one has gone before.
3. Wilbur Smith - When the Lion Feeds: Life is large, live it large. Don’t compromise your ideals, be honest, be brave, don’t conform, don’t be afraid to blaze your own trail and to hell with all consequences!

What are you currently reading?
Conn Iggulden / Brian Lumley

Any hopes of a DVD release of all your shows on NDTV?
Our fingers are crossed too, hopefully NDTV will release the DVDs soon!

What’s next for Rocky and Mayur?
‘Jai Hind’, our show with the Indian armed forces which is very close to our hearts and ‘India’s most Haunted’ our first departure from food. Hope you like them both.

We’re also working on our movies which starts in 2012 …fultoos Bollywood fillum. Mark it and must watch it!

~

Highway On My Plate: The Indian Guide to Roadside Eating (2010)

Highway On My Plate: The Indian Guide to Roadside Eating (2010)

In Highway On My Plate, the book, Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma give us an in-depth guide of all the eateries they’ve featured on their TV show. Spanning across every nook and cranny of the country, this is a quintessential food guide for those who love the road and like to do their share of backpacking. A robust collection of reviews, which are down to earth, practical with absolutely no pretensions, and all together delicious - it’s fresh as much as it’s authentic.

Each chapter is separated by state, and within, it covers a plethora of cities and towns, much of hinterland India.The book keeps you informed on the specialties of the iconic restaurants, Mayur/Rocky give you a personalized verdict, and they also rate each place by Taste, Ambiance, Service and Value for Money. There’s a personal touch to all the reviews in this book and the two always give you a little extra on the information side, with unique facts and things you can do on the side if you find yourself dining at the places.

Want to know where you can get the yummiest kachoras in Rajasthan, or the most heavenly thalis from Assam, or even the finest dosas in Bangalore? Then get your nose into Highway On My Plate - an absolute must for all foodies who love to explore all the diverse foods this country has to offer.

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Movie Review: Toy Story 3 - How old is too old?

By Sailen | Published: February 9, 2011

Toy Story 3 (2010) - DVD Cover

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Bringing myself to watch ‘Part 3′ of anything, let alone an animation, tends to take a concerted effort - whatever happened to Neo from the Matrix Trilogy? Watched Shrek Forever After and wished I hadn’t wasted my time… felt like it was made purely as a money making move, with absolutely no focus on quality (particularly the screenplay) or entertainment. Having said that, 2010 has been a great year for animations, Despicable Me, How To Train Your Dragon and Megamind, all spring to mind as stellar, highly enjoyable releases.

When I noticed Toy Story was releasing its third installment, I was slightly confused, should this be embraced or not? Toy Story was Pixar’s first ever release, it was a first of its kind, it took the genre of animation to a whole new level and it was a monumental success in the box office - there are a lot of great memories I hold with this movie (even its sequel). So, were they going to ruin a perfectly good franchise like they did with our favourite green ogre?

The answer is a whole hearted no. Toy Story 3 is simply brilliant - a formidable, nostalgic addition to a stellar trilogy (though I suspect you can expect Part 4 in the next 5 years). With the first part you’re introduced to all the characters and it sets up the rivalry between the cowboy leader Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and the mad-in-the-face space ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen). With Part 2 you’re given a quirky look inside the world of toy collecting, never shying away from the adventure aspect of the story. In the latest, the story takes a sentimental, almost philosophical turn, where you’re confronted with the theme of ‘coming of age’ and you inevitably ask yourself, how old is too old when it comes to the toys of your past?

In Toy Story 3 - Andy, the owner of all the wacky toys we’ve grown up with in the franchise, is on his way to freshman year of college. As with many of us at this age, one’s imagination becomes limited and the fascination with GI Joes, Transformers and Thundercats, in a flash moves on to girls, cars and well, cell phones. So what happens to all your favourite toys, that have kept you company over the years? Lock them up in an attic and pass them on to the next generation of children? Donate them to charity, so they can provide the same joy they had you? Or do you hold on to them for sentimental value, and keep them around as token memories of your childhood?

The screenplay of Toy Story 3 cleverly brings this theme to life by putting us in Andy’s shoes. Maintaining the wild-adventure plot structure, the movie is a fun-loving combination of entertainment, laughs and pure nostalgia. It touches on an era before Nintendos, Play Stations and Xboxes - reminding you of a time where acrylic toys, a beautiful imagination and a world of your own, comes together to define the relationship between childhood and toys. I honestly wasn’t expecting much from Toy Story 3 - but anything that can get me a little chokey as the credits roll up, has without a doubt delivered in a big way.

Winning the Golden Globe for Best Animation this year and being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars was deserved… and if that’s not enough to gain your interest, the special edition DVD release comes with a whole lot of goodies - from stickers, book marks as well as a scrapbook - got to admit, even as an adult, I was thoroughly impressed with the entire Toy Story 3 package.

This is a wholesome family movie, intricate animation and a very intelligent script, full of toy references from our past (Barbie and Ken will have you in splits). Chances are, it’ll have you scouring through your basement or attic, just so you can find that magical box of toys, you once locked away as you grew up.

~

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Interview: Rujuta Diwekar puts a lid on weight loss

By Sailen | Published: January 31, 2011
Women & The Weight Loss Tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar

Women & The Weight Loss Tamasha by Rujuta Diwekar

I’m probably the last person you’d talk to about dieting, weight loss and staying healthy in general… also, even though some of my friends might disagree, I’m not a woman. Having said that, it was interesting to go through this book, because everything I hate about the term dieting and weight loss has been put into words here.

In Rujuta Diwekar’s “Weight Loss Tamasha” there’s no starving, there’s no canceling out your favourite foods, there are no half baked myths that lead you to lose weight but inevitably deters your health as a consequence - essentially it’s tips on better living and better understanding of your body!

It would be grossly unfair to say this is a diet book, in fact, one would argue it’s against dieting… here there is focus on the mind and soul’s connection with the body. It is filled with sassy commentary discussing various Indian perceptions (and stereotypes) and a great deal of focus on squashing the obsession with being thin. There are detailed discussions on how the female body develops through the ages, and also discusses the general perception women have of beauty.

The book helps you understand what it means to live life better and healthier, which makes it unique and definitely worth reading. Sure, it has been written with women in mind but there are a few pointers men can take from this as well, if not for their own health, at least to better understand the bodies of the women in their lives. Plus, who better to light the way than Bollywood’s favourite fitness trainer and nutritionist, Rujuta Diwekar? Without sounding crass, what the stars pay for in large sums, you can get by simply buying this book. *wink*

In Pic: Rujuta Diwekar

In Pic: Rujuta Diwekar

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart, Rujuta Diwekar discusses her profession as a nutritionist and trainer, her latest book and the message it conveys to women, her relationship with Bollywood siren Kareen Kapoor, dieting myths and much more!

Who is Rujuta Diwekar and what makes her tick?
Now I could give you a very philosophical answer for that… For now I will stick to my describing myself as a nutritionist and author of “Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight” and “Women & The Weight Loss Tamasha“.

My readers and their generosity when it comes to buying my books is what makes me tick.

A fitness trainer for many of the A-list Bollywood stars - what has the experience been like working in an industry, where looks and size mean everything?
As a fitness and nutrition expert you get complete insight into your client’s life, there’s almost nothing hidden or private. It’s a huge learning experience working with the best of the Hindi film industry. Contrary to the popular belief that film stars are obsessed or narcissists, they are rather simple and uncomplicated people, at least I can safely say that for all the ones I have worked with. They want to eat right and train regularly to get healthier, be more productive, look better and feel beautiful. I think it’s this clarity that motivates them. I have never had a film star tell me, “Make me lose weight for New Years!”, or ask me, “Can I lose 10 kgs in 1 month?” They seem to be far more intelligent with their bodies than the rest of us.

What has the response been like for your first book, “Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight”?
The readers have been generous with their praise and affection for the book. Almost everybody who emails/writes on my FB wall/meets me, seem to have bought more than one copy. Thanks to this, the book is still on the bestseller list 100 weeks after its release.

Who exactly are your target audience?
That’s too intelligent a question! I hope “I don’t know” doesn’t sound too dumb an answer. My music teacher taught me to sing only for myself, I apply that to writing to. When I am writing, I write what I would like to read, laugh and think about. I write what resonates with every cell in my body, I write dil khol ke. This time my editor, Deepthi Talwar, had to ask me to stop and promised they would offer me another book before I agreed to wrap up “Tamasha”.

What has been your inspiration to write a book dealing with the ‘Weight Loss Tamasha’?
Every morning I pick up my newspaper and at least three pamphlets drop out of it, one of them is asking me to pay 7000/- to lose 5 kgs, another one wants me to tuck my arms and tummy and the third one wants me to plant more hair on my scalp - when I stop at traffic signals, hoardings scream the same exact things! Haven’t we made a tamasha out of our body? We are plagued with the disease of feeling inadequate and are so insecure about our looks that there is a multi-million dollar weight loss industry out there thriving on our inadequacies and fears.

We have moved away from our native and intrinsic wisdom of eating seasonal, fresh foods and in quantities that can be easily digested, absorbed, assimilated and excreted. Kareena in her note in “Tamasha” says every woman is inherently beautiful, the book is an appeal to women to use their buddhi and start celebrating their bodies instead of contorting or hiding it. The body is the temple of the soul, it’s not an object of shame. If you don’t already feel beautiful no amount of weight loss, starvation, skin package, tummy tuck or anything at all is going to make you feel that.

The book has an introduction by Kareena Kapoor and is even dedicated to her… what role has she played in the publication of the book?
Her contribution to every aspect of the book is huge, be it the title, writing a foreword or a personal note, launching it or supporting it whole heartedly on every possible platform. She literally lives the book! To me she is much more than a client, actor, celebrity or friend; she is my sounding board, staunchest supporter and my biggest inspiration. Honestly, I don’t have words to express what I feel for her but it’s only natural for me to dedicate both my books to her. I am truly touched by her dedication to eat right… in my opinion she has urged the nation to take to eating and that too simple, fresh , local food as a means of losing weight. The least I could do is dedicate the book to her.

There are many health books on weight loss - how is “The Weight Loss Tamasha” unique compared to all the others?
For one it thrives on your inner wisdom, beauty and urges its readers to love, accept and acknowledge the selfless work our body does for us all through life. So it’s not a weight loss book, it’s a ‘get real’ book. It doesn’t tell you how to lose weight, it tells you to throw the weighing scales and measure success or results depending on whether you have learned to listen to your stomach and eat according to your innate wisdom, versus measuring food or consuming low calorie food.

This book is a much needed educational tool about our body, hormones, organs and food, it’s not a weight loss book at all! Also not too many books seem to value the fact that our culture, tradition, family values and sadly gender discrimination plays up in our relationship with food. As Indian women we take on and do much more and that too silently. Our contribution to family, society, community and the world at large is invisible, mostly to ourselves. Because we don’t really value ourselves much, our motivation to eat is rather low if not totally absent. The book makes an effort to cover all these aspects that affect our health and well being, instead of just doling out dos & don’ts about weight loss.

Can describe the format of the book?
The book covers the four stages of a woman’s life, starting from teenage and the time she gets her first period, to the whole ‘thin, fair, tall’ phenomenon surrounding marriage, to the draining pre and post pregnancy and finally the much misunderstood menopause. The book talks extensively about the lifestyle ‘curses’ of Hypothyroidism and PCOS/ PCOD. I feel the only curse associated with these conditions is the rampart misinformation and fear (about hormones).

The crux of the book are the four strategies of well being - nutrition, exercise, sleep and relationships. For women ‘weight loss/ body image’ go beyond food and hence these strategies. For each stage and lifestyle disorder there are specific strategies apart from the comprehensive chapters on them. I am also very excited about the appendices as they include some very interesting information, e.g Comparison of traditional Indian breakfasts with the cereal-milk option, effects of nutrition deficiencies on various parts of our body, foods considered healthy and why they are not…

“Please eat or you are not going to lose weight…” - essentially, this is the overall mantra of the book, what exactly is the message trying to convey?
To think of food beyond calories and for its nourishing, therapeutic and feel good value. A well nourished body burns fat and under-nourished body burns muscle and loses weight.

The book isn’t really just a health book, but a commentary on society and its affect on women… can you expand?
Food is the most intimate relationship we will ever have. The way society treats us, influences the relationship we have with our food and therefore our body. Our body is a straight outcome of what we eat, it’s known as the annamayakosha in the Yogic tradition, the food body. We feed people we love, respect, value - sadly as Indian women we don’t really love, respect or value ourselves enough and hence the whole tamasha with weight loss. That I must be of a certain shape, size, weight to be ‘beautiful’ is nothing but regressive mentality. We find matrimonial ads for ‘tall, thin, fair’ funny, but by desperately trying to become that formula or to fit that mold is not funny, not at all. I am yet to see an ad which says “Wanted! Tall, six pack, sporting, lean looking hunk’ for a groom… :)

You’ve shared four strategies for living healthy: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep and Relationships. Can you elaborate on the Sleep and Relationships part?
My elaboration will be long enough to get converted into a book, so just read the “Tamasha” instead. Having said that I do believe that lack of recovery is the biggest contributor to gaining fat and losing muscle and bone tissue - eg. accelerated aging is the exact opposite of what you want. Also women who understand their body, hormones, organs are able to celebrate womanhood versus treating it with contempt. After all, shy and ashamed are two different things.

Three myths in dieting that really annoy you?
1. Avoid rice in the night to lose weight
2. Avoid eating bananas, mango , potato, chickoo, seetaphal, grapes to lose weight
3. Avoid ghee to lose weight
I could go on.. ;)

Share some of your crucial tips for better eating and better living.
1. Think of food as nourishment and not punishment
2. Exercise is not for those who are out of shape, it’s a way of life
3. Don’t sleep all you want (wisdom borrowed from H.H. Dalai Lama)
4. In relationships, forgive, forget and forward (wisdom borrowed from Muniji Parmarth ashram)
5. Know that the biggest diet guru is your stomach - not the latest no.1 diet book on the best seller list!

Professional advice for those who want to enter the ‘Sports Science and Nutrition’ field…
Jump in and do it right away, it makes for a very meaningful career. Keep yourself updated with the latest in nutrition and exercise science and don’t overlook the ancient Indian wisdom related to eating, our local tradition of seasonal food, our diverse cooking cultures and most importantly the vedantic teachings of keeping the body fit enough to be the temple of the soul.

Three books that changed your life and why?
Sorry Flipkart, I am not much of a reader. I thoroughly enjoy text books on exercise physiology, nutrition science, in fact I enjoy journals related to this topic and Swami Rama is one of my favourite authors, specially his Art of Joyful Living. The only books which changed my life are the books I’ve written. God! I’m not much of a reader, I’m a  self obsessed author!

What are you currently reading?
Feedback for “Women & The Weight Loss Tamasha”! :)

~

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Interview: Chit Chatting with Parul Sharma - Mom, Writer, Rocker

By Sailen | Published: January 12, 2011
By The Water Cooler by Parul Sharma (2010)

By The Water Cooler by Parul Sharma (2010)

For many of us, there has been a time where we have made the career decision to jump into the big-bad world of corporate MNCs; as a means for more growth, more money, more glory. More often than not, this decision comes to slap you hard in the face, albeit, brimming with opportunity. From dealing with an overbearing boss, to a self-involved manager insecure about losing the title, to a team leader who couldn’t care less about a team that doesn’t know better; the corporate world is usually a stringent test in politicking and people skills.

In Parul Sharma’s follow-up novel, By The Water Cooler, the reader is immersed into this world with the hilarious female duo Mini and Tanya. While Mini is the grounded, ambitious one looking to make it, Tanya is offbeat and more concerned with her upcoming marriage than working at all. Together they take you on a whirlwind ride through corporate hell, office romance all the way to do-or-die projects. The running theme, you will soon realize is, “Corporate bitches are made, not born.”

Without sounding like a complete sexist, it’s a sort of chick-flick in book form; a hint of Devil Wears Prada and a dash of Bridget Jones’ Diary, of course, in a distinctly Indian setting with distinctly Indian corporate nuances. In it, you’re introduced to an array of colourful characters; those who will frustrate you, those who will make you laugh, those who will keep you on your toes; the common trait they share is the reader has worked with these personalities at some point or the other. This is where the book is a pleasure to read. It’s easy to relate, it’s easy to empathize.

With By The Water Cooler, you will reminisce about your wacky colleagues from past and present, and you won’t know whether to grimace or laugh out loud at some of the corporate experiences described. The characterizations and scenarios in the book are spot on and there is no doubt you will tell yourself, “I know her!” or “Been there, done that” or even “OMG! I’m living this!”

~

In Pic: Parul Sharma

In Pic: Parul Sharma

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart, Parul Sharma talks about her inspirations, her two books - ‘Bringing up Vasu’ and ‘By The Water Cooler’, advice on writing, favourite rock bands, movies and books and much more.

Introduction

In a nutshell, who is Parul Sharma?
Mum to two, forever trying to make the time to write. Sometimes succeeding.

Who and what inspired you to become a writer and how would you describe yourself as one - style, process, themes?
My story is unusual in a usual kind of way. For many years, I spent the better half of my day in cubicles, peddled Microsoft Office for a living and dreamt of a life that involved writing through the day. Finally as the thirtieth birthday approached, I took the plunge and said goodbye to corporate life and the monthly pay cheque and said hello to hours alternately spent writing and struggling with self-doubt.

For me, now, writing is like any other job, albeit one that I love. That’s how I approach it. There are good days and bad, sometimes words flow and sometimes they don’t but my task is to land up at the writing desk without fail and I do. There is only one way to be a writer and that is by writing. There is no divine inspiration. There is no crack of lightening or cloudbursts to signal the arrival of the muse. It’s plain and simple hard work and I think I am up for it. One word at a time, the books emerge.

It’s early days in my writing career and so I am still writing about themes that I am familiar with, parenting, life in a metropolis, careers, relationships. As I gain some confidence I hope to experiment with completely new territories. In fact, that’s one of my goals.

Tell us about your blog, Radio Parul. How old is it and what kind of content can we find on there?
Radio Parul was formerly ‘Bringing Up Adi’. It was started as a parenting blog but became a lot more fickle along the way. It is aimed at giving me writing practice and it rises to that purpose admirably. It covers very, very serious things – conversations overheard in salons, things my cook says, my abiding love for Pierce Brosnan, my complete inability to navigate any city in the world, my futile attempts at influencing the ways of my children and so on. Yes, very serious things.

Do you have any quirky habits when you get down to writing?
You mean like sprinkling salt over the shoulder and so on? Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of time to do such things. Perhaps at some time when my children are older and I am not struggling to make the time for my word-quota for the day, I plan to have these charming eccentricities. I live in hope, I do.

Bringing Up Vasu & By The Water Cooler

Would it be fair to say your books target audience are primarily women?
They were not written with a pre-defined audience in mind. I don’t know why they ended up being read more by women. I would imagine that my kind of writing would go down well with anyone who enjoys a good laugh and likes taking a light-hearted view of things. I am willing to be read by men and women, dogs and cats and anyone else who’s game for it.

In 140 characters, describe your latest novel ‘By the Water Cooler’?
Mini and Tanya join a new office looking for corporate nirvana and find an office full of eccentric and quirky characters instead. Fun read!

Motherhood is the main theme in ‘Bringing Up Vasu’ and life in the corporate world is integral in ‘By The Water Cooler’. How much of your own personal experiences translate into your novels?
I am at the point in my writing life where I am still exploring themes that I am familiar with. I am hoping that with experience, I will be able to navigate other themes, other worlds that are completely removed from my present reality. It would be a very welcome way to escape from things as they are. I consider that to be one of the primary perks of being a fiction writer.

Was there a particular reason you decided to go with two protagonists in ‘By The Water Cooler’ and can you tell us the differences in traits between Mini and Tanya?
Well, no, it was not a conscious decision. Perhaps initially Mini was to be the chief protagonist. Tanya surprised me by making more space for herself and ended up being co-protagonist if you will. As for differences, obviously Tanya is the quirkier of the two, the perfect foil to the more grounded Mini. Tanya makes Mini look sane by comparison, which is saying a lot. They have many similarities but perhaps Tanya has had a richer, more fun past while Mini has lived with expectations of straight A’s, b-schools and traditional choices.

Would you agree with Mini and Tanya’s decision to leave their more intimate ad agency to join the cut-throat corporate world to further their careers? What are your thoughts when individuals make this drastic switch in work environment and essentially ethic?
Well, of course I don’t consider what they did to be wrong in any way. We all need to do what we think is right, for us, for our careers. You cannot judge people basis your own ethic. A lot of people leave agencies to work with large corporates and some of them find a fit and some of them don’t. Look at me, I did not find a fit in either an agency or in a corporate and had to work on my own to finally be happy.

Tyrannical CEO and a negative influence boss; two characters in ‘By The Water Cooler’ who leave a bad taste in the reader’s mouth, were these characters based on anyone in particular (we’ve all had our fair share) and what advice would you give when it comes to dealing with them in a professional environment?
Over the course of a career lasting years and years, one is bound to meet different kinds of people. And thank goodness for that! It would be appallingly boring if one were to not run into such quirks and eccentricities. I have had my fair share and maybe all of them merge into each character that I write about. Of course a large part of it is also the product of an imagination that enjoys exaggeration.

As for handling the not-so-nice aspects of boss-people, the only advice that I can give is (and let me remind you that I have not had too much experience and quit while I was ahead) that even if you are trapped in a bad place, don’t get bullied. Yes, that’s pretty much my only philosophy.

The corporate world has become the setting of choice for the new generation of Indian authors - why do you think this fascinates the Indian readership?
I think part of it is due to the Write-What-You-Know-About syndrome on the part of the writers. There is a bunch of us who have gone down the traditional route to begin with (a major in economics or commerce followed by MBA and then into the world of FMCG or what-have-you) and have then listened to the little voice in the head that just doesn’t quit and insists that you write. The result is debut novels that explore themes that are closest to the writer. With time, these same writers will expand their repertoire and write about diverse themes. If written well, the office space offers a lot of scope for humorous novels and that is indicated in the readers’ reaction too.

General (Misc.)

From blogger to novelist - any advice for youngsters who would like to evolve as writers?
Read Stephen King’s On Writing. It’s the most sensible advice that you can get.

Write and read as much as you possibly can and then some more. Read the classics, the pulp, the magazines, the shampoo labels, read, read, read. Write all the time, everyday. Don’t worry if your voice does not seem real at first. It will evolve at some point and that some point will probably come after you have made your way through thousands of words. Treat writing like work. It is not something you do when you feel the divine flow making its merry way through your veins. It’s just what you do, everyday, all the time. Don’t spend too much time talking about writing, write instead.

You’re a self-proclaimed rocker - who are some of the bands you feel are truly timeless and why?
Ah, nice question. Well, I love Metallica. One of my dreams was to watch them in concert and it seemed unlikely that it would ever happen in India. So in 2008, my family and I trudged all the way to Bologna in Italy so that I could catch them live. I also love all the usual suspects, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Doors, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, CCR. I am sort of stuck in a time warp as you can see. New rock music doesn’t stick very well to me.

Three movies you can watch over and over again?
The Godfather, Lost in Translation, ChungKing Express.

What have been some of the books that have changed your life and why?
I think everything by PG Wodehouse inspires me to keep at it, to keep the humour going, to try to create an escape capsule for the reader (and for myself) where everything is funny and the biggest problem is someone putting a needle through your hot water bottle. My favourites are Pigs Have Wings, The Mating Season and Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen. Sunlit perfection, as Stephen Fry described him.

What are you currently reading?
I try to alternate classics with new releases. Just finished Grapes of Wrath and am about to knock off Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain. Next up, Leela by Jerry Pinto and Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome. The reading list is inexhaustible and full of wonderful, delicious books and for that I am eternally in gratitude!

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