Author of Secrets and Second Chances, Mrs Anita Shirodkar interacted with Spectralhues.com about her upcoming book ‘Night in Pink Satin’, her writing style, the authors she follows and a lot more!
What inspired you to write ‘Nights in Pink Satin’?
The answer to that would be, the evolved nature of the reading audience! I believe that reader s today have developed a taste for well-paced, well written books that are an easy read, but pack a punch as far as the storyline goes. I wondered whether an erotic book in the style of Fifty Shades of Grey would work in the Indian context… but instead of actually writing an erotic book, I created a protagonist who does. Nights in Pink Satin is the story of Simran, a newly married young girl who ventures into forbidden literary territory, and emerges with her integrity intact.
Is there any specific writing style that you prefer?
I like to write in a light, easy style, very readable, peppered with humor and insights into what makes people tick. It’s not pure romance, though romance does form a part of the storyline. It’s about people, their ambitions, emotion and lives, written in a breezy, fun way. I think Fingertprint!Lite is the perfect vehicle for this book!
Besides being an author, you also have other businesses. Not to forget you are a mother too. How difficult is it to juggle so many jobs?
It’s difficult, for sure. But it’s great when you enjoy what you are doing. I started writing commercial fiction only a couple of years ago, and I’ve developed quite a liking for it! No matter how full my day gets with other activities, I manage to come back to my writing at regular intervals. I don’t have a fixed writing schedule, because there are too many other things clamoring my attention, so I’m not hard on myself when I have a dry spell. My daughter got married a couple of months ago, so for almost 4-5 weeks before the wedding, I was completely out of the writing zone. I did work on the final edit for Nights in Pink Satin during that crazy time, and when I think back, I don’t know how I did it! I divide my time between Mumbai and Dubai, so that too takes its toll. But as I said, I’m enjoying myself in each of my roles as a mother, writer, designer, entrepreneur and home maker, so it’s all a matter of perception, at the end of the day.
Writing a book takes time and patience. Have you ever been overly attached to any of your characters or protagonists from the book?
Yes, very! The best part of writing is developing the characters. You watch them unfold and define themselves, page after page, and by 
the end of the book you know them inside out- how they think, how they react, how they look and what they’ll do in a given situation. So I’m attached to all of them. Nandita Dharkar, from my first book Secrets and Second Chances, is one of my favorites, as is Simran from Nights in Pink Satin. The relationship dynamics between the characters are interesting too, like that of Simran and her agent, Karan Goenka… that turned out to be an endearing friendship. In Secrets and Second Chances, the relationship between Nandita and Aditya unfolds beautifully.
Are your books based on someone or are they inspired from your own personal life?
I haven’t based my books or stories on anyone I know. Having said that, all my characters probably have traits and idiosyncrasies of random people I meet. I tend to observe little things and file them away, and use them when appropriate! People are such interesting objects to observe. I have so many characters in my head that I’d like to write into a book at some point.
Would you term your work as bold, considering the fact that a majority of people from India cringe on hearing the word ‘cougar’?
I don’t think the book is in any way bold. I mean, Simran is writing an erotic story, but that’s the book within the book. My novel is not erotic. Do you think the word cougar is cringe-worthy? I don’t think so! It’s basically a term for an older woman seeking a sexual relationship with a younger man. One could argue that the word objectifies women, and that’s probably true. But being a cougar is not really being bold, it’s just the circumstances in which women sometimes find themselves. Men very frequently have relationships with much younger women, but does anyone call them bold? This is one of the questions that Nights in Pink Satin raises. If it’s not tabboo for a man, why should it be taboo for a woman? Isha Sahai, the woman on whom Simran bases her story, is an older woman trapped is a dead marriage. Her extramarital affair causes sniggers among her acquaintances, just as it would if she was a real woman living in society today. Conversely, men are admired and lauded as lucky if they manage to snare a younger woman. This is part of the controversy that Simran’s book creates once it is published.
If you had to, which writer would you choose as a mentor?
So many, that it’s really hard to choose. I admire so many authors for so many reasons…. Arthur Hailey as a great storyteller, Georgette Heyer for her utterly charming writing style, Agatha Christie because no one did murder like she did, Jeffery Archer who is another fantastic storyteller, Tom Clancy for his superb detailing, David Baldacci for his fascinating plots, Jane Austen -what can I say; I’ve read all of them over and over! Ken Follet is amazing for his sweeping canvas, John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Dan Brown…. The list could go on!
Which age group do your books target?
Anyone from 16 to 60…. my books are neither gender specific nor age specific. The characters vary in age and would resonate with a wide demographic of people.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on one more fiction novel; it’s set in the art world, and moves from Mumbai to Italy and back. It is as yet untitled, and I’m a little more than halfway through.
What kind of reactions have you got from your readers?
So far on both books, very positive, and that makes all the hard work worth it. Readers have liked the light and easy writing style, and appreciated the pace of the book. Many people have told me that they enjoyed reading an international style light fiction book written in the Indian metro city context. Nights in Pink Satin has just been published, and I look forward to feedback from readers… please do get in touch via my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anita-Shirodkar-Secrets-and-Second-Chances/1417077738578540?ref=hl
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