Nishita Ande

At this very young age, how did the idea of writing a book come to you?

I have had an interest in stories since I was very young. At the beginning of the lockdown, my parents gave me different topics to weave stories upon.

What inspired you to write your debut book titled “Suryaputra Karna”? Can you tell us a bit about your book? How long does it take you to complete the book?

My mom once insisted that I write a small paragraph on the character Karna. When I wrote a rough draft, my parents asked me to continue building on it, deciding to publish it later. The book is mainly about my favourite character Karna from the Mahabharata, who is one of the most misunderstood characters of the epic. It is written from his point of view so that people can know how he felt during the important incidents in the Mahabharata. It took almost 3-4 months to finish the book.

When and how did your interest in Mythology develop? What other than ancient Indian epics interests you?

Since I was really young, I have had an immense interest in Hindu Mythology, from hearing stories from my parents and grandparents. As I grew up, I started reading books of Mythological stories too. My interest mainly grew during the lockdown, where I spent most of my time watching the different serials aired on TV.

What kind of research you had to do before coming up with the final book? What difficulties and challenges did you face during the research period?

I was confident while writing the major part of the book but I had to do a lot of research while writing the war section. I had to be accurate about what were the formations in the war, who all were present, and mainly, who died on which day of the war. My main challenge was writing war scenes like sword fights, etc., which I took help from a few of my favourite books.

Being a student, how did you manage your studies along with curating your first book?

Actually, my studies weren’t affected much because I wrote the book during my summer vacation. I had to struggle only the first week of school to finish my homework on time and write the book.

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with readers about? What are your future plans and ambitions?

At present, I am only trying to improve my hand in literature. As my ambition is to become a mythological author, in the future I plan to study Sanskrit Literature, which I feel would be a great help for me to understand the different slokas or mantras used in the mythological epics.

You are an inspiration to not just children but elders too. How does it feel to be a child author?

I have been aspiring to be an author for a long time, but I never expected to actually get a book of mine published. I feel really happy that my parents and friends are proud of me for my achievement.

Tell us a bit about your family, your hobbies, likes, and dislikes.

My family is a very fun-loving family. My parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents encouraged me a lot while writing my book. My parents encourage my hobbies, which are: Playing, Dancing, reading, and writing. I really love books and movies, mainly those which are comedies.

Who is your favorite Author? What genre of books would you be interested in writing when you grow up?

My favourite authors are Rick Riordan and Amish Tripathi. I am mostly interested in writing stories from Hindu Mythology.

Rapid Fire Round

1. Favorite Place, Actor & Actress, Person, Food, beverage….

Hyderabad, (South Indian Actors) Nani & Nivetha Thomas, Mom & Dad, Ladies’ finger fry, Chocolate Milkshake/Coffee

2. Your other Talents apart from writing….

Dance

3. Your First Love…

Stories

4. Favorite Quote….

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

5. Favorite Character from a book…

Percy Jackson from the series Percy Jackson, and series Heroes of Olympus.