Gayatri Chandrasekharan

How and when did you first realize your calling for writing your debut book titled, “Bangalored”? Can you tell us a bit about your book? How long did it take you to complete the work?

I’ve always meant to write a book as I love writing, and, somehow, over the last 2 years that dream gathered steam. My book “Bangalored” is a light and witty romance between a fiercely independent Indian girl and a handsome Britisher. Friendship, family and heartbreak are entwined into the lives of the protagonists in a slice-of-life narrative that warms the heart. The city of Bengaluru is almost a protagonist as it becomes much more than just the backdrop for the story. What also stands out is the gender mainstreaming throughout the book, where the reader is constantly made aware of a woman holding her own in a man’s world. 

It took me about seven months to write the first draft of the book. 

“Sometimes, we do not get a chance to thank each one who has helped us in our Journey.” Let the readers get a chance to know about all the important people who have played a part in this ‘Author Journey of Yours’.

I have to mention my family, especially my husband, who have been totally involved in my journey as an author – encouraging me through the low points and pushing me to commit more and more to this journey and not back down. 

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According to you which are the 5 books that everyone should read and who are your top 3 Authors and what impact did they have in your journey as a writer?

5 books I think everyone should read:

1. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
2. Animal Farm (George Orwell)
3. Of Human Bondage (Somerset Maugham)
4. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
5. My Cousin Rachel (Daphne du Maurier)

Top 3 authors are:

1. Jane Austen – I love the style of writing about ordinary lives; the plot is simple but the writing is beautiful
2. Somerset Maugham – the nuanced and layered character sketches he does of humans is simply astounding; somehow he teaches us not to judge fellow humans
3. PG Wodehouse – his biting commentary on people and mores never seems like a criticism the way he writes it….with loads of humour and self-deprecating wit. He has me enthralled with his laugh-a-minute books

I think all these aspects have, at a more simplistic level, found a way into my writing as I unconsciously imitated them in my first book – I used humour lavishly to tell a simple, uncomplicated story about nuanced people.

How does it feel to be on the board of directors of one of the top 4 global payment security and forensic analytics companies in the world – SISA?

It feels wonderful. I get to stay connected with the industry and also interact with and learn from brilliant, entrepreneurial minds. And get an opportunity to share my experiences with them and help them grow. It is also an opportunity for me to work in the field of corporate governance which has been a subject of interest for me over the last couple of years.

What has been your most cherished experience as an author?

I have to say the love I have received has been heart-warming. People have sent me pictures of my book from their homes and written to me telling me what they loved about my book – things like it reminded them of their courtship days, or of a lost sweetheart. Some have told me they cried and laughed along with my book, some said the book stayed with them and they kept thinking about it, one person even said she skipped cooking for her family so she could finish my book! Many have asked me to write a sequel. So how involved readers got in, what I thought, was a simple love story was astounding for me and I am really very elated by that.

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Could you share a few tips for budding Authors and aspiring writers?

I am just one book old but I think the best advice I can give is to start writing. Don’t overthink it, just begin tapping away at your laptops.

How and when did you started advising the Start-up businesses? What are the areas where you feel strongest? What are the challenges faced by you in this whole process?

I have done this over the last couple of years. My area of strength is business growth. It’s one-off as of now so haven’t really faced too many challenges in this yet. However, one thing I have to bear in mind is that I am advising as an outsider so I resist the urge to make impossible suggestions and walk away.

Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share with your readers? What are your future plans?

I do hope to get started on a second book very soon. I have a rough idea of what it is going to be about but haven’t really been able to think of a concrete plot yet. I am working on that.

How can a writer keep the mental block or writer’s block away from his/her creativity?

I’m just one book old but what worked for me in this book was writing about people and situations that I am familiar with. This made the writing process a little easier than it would have been if I had taken a completely alien context.

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Rapid Fire Round

1. Favorite Place, Actor & Actress, Person, Food, beverage….Bengaluru, Pierce Brosnan, Audrey Hepburn, Can’t name a favourite person, the others will kill me 🙂, Curd-rice, Tea

2. Your other Talents apart from writing….I’m a great salesperson

3. Your First Love… Dogs & horses (have many of the first and can’t afford the second)

4. Favourite Quote….’Good for you!’ – my go to quote when I can’t handle the person I am speaking with 🙂

5. Favourite Character from a book…Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

What if Round 

1. What if you had to live with only three things all your life, what would the three things be?

Soap, toothpaste and perfume (I’m hoping food, water and clothes are a given!)

2. What if you were given the power to change one thing from this world, what would you change?

I would take away cruelty from human hearts

3. What if you had all the money in this world, what would you do first?

Sit idly by the mountains or the ocean (but then you don’t need all the money in the world for either of these :))

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