When did you realise that you could write?
To be honest, my mother has always said that I am a better writer than actor (laughs). She always encouraged me, but I didn’t have the courage, time or energy to write. I have been journalling for the last 20 years, and I think my style of writing has also emerged from there. It is part doodling, part therapy, part pouring the day out on pages, and part thinking of the future. I don’t know when I discovered I could write, but this book is a result of my time spent during the pandemic. I had an idea and wrote this as a 10-pager for a television pitch. I thought it would make for a cool series or film. I was torn between wanting to convert it into a screenplay or book, but eventually felt the latter was the cooler thing to do.
Have you always been a voracious reader?
Yes. As a child, I was only interested in stories. I would hide an Enid Blyton or an Agatha Christie novel between my textbook, and pretend to study. But, actually I would be lost in the world of fiction. Whenever I was asked what I wanted for my birthday, I would always ask for books.
What was the germ of the idea for Zeba?
I am fascinated with the idea of misfits saving the world. That was the starting point. The writing just took a life of its own. I just knew that I wanted it to be accessible. The story draws inspiration from literature and superhero films one has grown up with.
I have also taken real elements and given them a fictional spin. For instance, my mother’s maiden name is Akhoon, and I thought it would be a great name for a tribe.
How much of Huma is there in the protagonist?
I think Huma is Zeba. She is also the Great Khan and Ayesha. I have tried to humanise all the characters, and there are parts of me that may have crept into all of them. It is quite an outlandish story, and the idea was to make it as real as possible.
Can readers expect a sequel? Is there any other book you are working on?
There is an idea I am toying with, but I am yet to put pen to paper. But, if I attempt to write another novel, then it would be a completely different style of writing; perhaps more classic. As for a sequel to Zeba, we will have to see how many copies of the first book sell (laughs).