A modern woman’s roller coaster ride through life

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad-based dancer and writer Pujita Krishna’s book ‘Smitten’, which was released recently, tells the story of a modern Indian woman Jayanti and her adventures. At 28, she looks like a woman who has it all: a good looking fiancé, a well-paying cushy job, two loving parents and close friends, but still, she feels unhappy. Alok, her fiancé, doesn’t hold the mojo for her anymore. She hates her job. Her life comes undone pretty much after her chance encounter with Russo at an art gallery in Hyderabad where she lives. Russo is not just an artist but also a drug dealer.

Unsuspectingly, through a strange sequence of events involving her naïve maid Vijji, Jayanti finds herself in a heady situation mixed with drugs and goons that takes her to Gokarna, even as she falls in love with Russo.

Speaking to Express, Pujita said: “It’s a light-hearted read and falls in the genre of chick lit on the lines of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Confessions of a Shopaholic. The book deals with the paradoxes that a modern woman faces, who can be a bundle of contradictions. She can be strong and opinionated on one hand, but weak and vulnerable on the other.”

Stating that the book was a true work of labour, Pujita said the process of writing the book started 10 years ago, but was put on the back-burner as she completed her course in dancing. The publishing house which had commissioned the book too shut down in the meantime. During a ritualistic spring cleaning of her laptop, Pujita stumbled upon the manuscript again and sent it to another publisher. There was no looking back after that.

When asked who she would like to see playing Jayanti’s character if a movie is ever made on that book, Pujita chose Richa Chaddha as she felt that Richa was someone audience could relate to. The book, which costs Rs 200, is available on leading online book platforms.

— Kakoli Mukherjee
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@newindianexpress.com
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