HYDERABAD : Why did you choose a storyline which shows the thread between a young woman and her grandmother? It sounds much easier as compared to what other women have been dealing with.
Although I have multiple narrations about different women in my book, it ends where the narrator speaks about her own life to her grandmother.
Her grandmother’s life may appear easier to the readers because of the way she has shaped it. She could have chosen to live an extremely difficult life if she didn’t know what was important to her at what point. The narrator is an ambitious, young woman who is feeling trapped in her circumstances. It is by learning through her grandmother’s journey that the narrator is able to make the best choices from her around her. Also, many a time we underestimate the importance of experience. Not everything can be learnt quick or by making mistakes, time is one of the greatest teachers.
The plot explores linear directions. Was that choice deliberate?
Yes, that choice was deliberate. In order to represent that which already exists, and in order to convey it strongly without deviations I chose to write it that way.
You have lived in multiple places. How has that shaped your writing skills?
Living in different places has widened my perspective of our society. This has exposed me to different cultures and believes. Not only has it helped me learn more of how lives in places distant to my native area can be, but also, I have explored many sides of my own self by this. All this has made my writings more unbiased and broader.
What made you think you had a book bubbling inside you?
This book depicts a clear picture of how multiple journeys of different women can be. The good, the bad the ugly, it has it all. It is nothing but a representation of what bubbles around us, on the outside.
Does being a dental surgeon give you a lens to study people’s lives more closely?
Being a dental surgeon introduces me to many new people every day. And yes, it does give me a lens to know people more closely. I help my patients overcome their fear of disease and treatment while they sit on my dental chair, which helps them establish a bond with me. Many a time they open up to me about their deeper thoughts and believes as well. This makes me understand them and their lives better.
You have given a talk on ‘the role of the author in the 21st century, tell us more about it.
Authors have always been an integral part of our society. It is they who dare to write stories from the otherwise hidden nooks and corners. It is them who will leave behind the remains of what is currently prevailing around us. The 21st century has brought us a lot more ahead than where we previously were. With each passing year in this century, we are progressing leaps and bounds. The opportunity to write is much more today, than it was previously. I remember getting my first book printed in 2003, at that time the struggle of finding a printer and binder itself was immense. Today authors have an array of options to select from. This encourages more and more people to come up with newer, more constructive and meaningful ideas through more books.
Hyderabad-based author Vandita Mishra in her book ‘Myriad of Personas’ depicts struggles of a young woman as she navigates through the difficulties of life finding light in her grandmother’s experiences. In a conversation with Hyderabad Express she talks about it and more
— Saima Afreen saima@newindianexpress @Sfreen