“Women are strong in a quiet way”

What is secret behind strong female protagonists?

I have always been interested in female psychology and motivations. I feel that women are strong, often in a quiet way, that is overlooked. I attempt to bring them into the centre of my fictional universe, to show the quiet heroism in their lives.

Which of your books do you feel most proud of?

My two favorites are The Palace of Illusions and Oleander Girl. In the former, I took on the challenge of retelling the Mahabharata from Draupadi's point of view. I felt that Draupadi was such an important character in the drama of Mahabharata, yet we do not hear much of her point of view, opinions or feelings in much of the original story. I wanted to imagine her inner life. In Oleander Girl, I try to create a literary mystery. A young woman discovers a secret about her family and herself. She travels halfway across the world to discover herself.

From where do you derive the inspiration to write?

People, incidents around me and news items as well as books of fiction give me inspiration. But most important of all is the imagination. That is what allows me to come up with a story idea.

Which are your favourite authors?

I like writers of many backgrounds, Indian and foreign and like reading many kinds of books — serious literary books as well as fun and fantasy novels such as Harry Potter.

What do you desire to write as a masterpiece?

I am working on a novel about Sita. I hope it will turn out to be the best story that I have written so far.

What role do promotion and marketing play ?

There are so many presses and writers out there now. In some ways it is easier to get published, but also easier to get lost. To bring the book to the attention of the reader is more important than ever. Marketing and promotion of book have become very important. Internet publicity has become really huge now.

HOME