In Conversation with GUWAHATIAN Magazine

http://www.guwahaticity.in/Guwahatian/Vol2_Issue1/bookstore.php

Here it comes, the great news from my co-author. Third interview for I WAS THERE. It is for an E-Magazine of Guwahati. I really feel proud to work with a brilliant story teller like Saptadeep Basu.

Book: I Was There
Authors: Saptadeep Basu & Mamta Sharma
Part I: A talk with the authors

Guwahatian: What made you write 'I Was There'? Any inspirational incident/experience that played a role?

Saptadeep : “I Was There” is a brain child of two people from two extremely different worlds. Brought up in north east, a subject like honour killing was alien to me. But I was fed up with the impact of the term, even in a so called civilized society of Delhi, which stands poor in sex ratio. On the other hand, Mamta was born & brought up in Haryana; so the story had her share of personal experiences.

Also I feel, with the atrocities on woman on the rise in a society we claim give them an equal playing field, “I Was There” was a story whose time had arrived.

Guwahatian: Tell us in brief about the protagonist(s) of your novel.

Saptadeep : The protagonists of this novel are Maansi & Reyaz, and just like the authors, they are two people from two diametrically opposite worlds. The difference is not only in their religions, but how they view life and love. While Maansi is from a village, Reyaz is an educated city boy. The differences of the characters strike out all through the novel but at the same time, they are connected through a common chord of pain that makes them seek each other.

Guwahatian: How does' I Was There ' get in touch with the present status of the Indian society?

Saptadeep : The present Indian society is caught in between women empowerment and patriarchy. We want to embrace the future without letting go of the past. Even within the shine and glamour of city life, a girl child is killed, raped and molested somewhere. While we allow our girls to get educated in a school, somewhere in a village a bunch of people decide whether or not they should wear jeans or carry mobile phones!

As I have said the time of “I Was There” has arrived to stand as a mirror to the society.

Guwahatian: What experiences did you derive from writing this novel?

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Saptadeep : I was There’ has been written by two people who have never met in person, so the experience of writing this novel had been amazing. It has taught me to trust people even if you haven’t met them, believe in their abilities, understand the other’s point of view and above all be patient. However, the most important takeaway for me is the same understanding Maansi gets about life from God. Probably somewhere through my research, I had discovered Him in me.  

Guwahatian: According to you, what should a first timer keep in mind while writing a novel? 

Saptadeep : Research well, for no one wants to read a story that the writer himself isn’t convinced about. Try to write as many drafts and get it reviewed from as many people. There is no substitute to this step. And lastly, write from your heart because that is the only thing why a writer writes and a reader reads.