Spilling The Beans With Ritu Lalit...

She is one of the few Indian authors who never compromise with the quality of writing. She is not bound by genre. She is also a blogger, a mother, and a successful woman. It was my honor to chat with the lady who is an icon for many Indian women: Ritu Lalit.


Mansi: Please tell us a little about your first novel “A Bowlful of Butterflies”


Ritu Lalit: My first novel is very close to my heart. It is about a middle-class family, with conservative views, that lives in the NCR (Northern Capital Region). The narrative is from the view point of Chandni, aka Chandu, the youngest. She is in Class XII and is worried about her board exams and career choice when she spies on her eldest brother who is in a gay relationship with his music teacher. The lives of the family members are turned upside down. How they cope with it, forms the crux of the story. Of course, crucial matters like career choices and unconventional sexuality are issues that are dealt with, but in a light hearted way.


Mansi: Please tell us about your upcoming novel.


Ritu Lalit: My upcoming novel is HILAWI. It is a fantasy thriller centered on Gigi and Veer, who are twins and have an unusual heritage, which catapults them into adventure.


Mansi: Hilawi… sounds unique and catchy. How did you come up with the title?


Ritu Lalit: I visualized an object of power and thought “Yeh sabko hila dega.” So, it became HILAWI.


Mansi: Wow… Well, what was the first step towards Hilawi? What inspired you to write down this story?


Ritu Lalit: We are all familiar with the myths surrounding our gods. Krishna has a flute which can play music that can send people into trance. He has his Sudershan Chakra. Shiv has his Trishool and his serpents. What would supposedly happen if an ordinary person in the 21st century inherits one such object of power? This thought made me explore the concept and write the book.


Mansi: Interesting… Apart from the genre and the title, even the cover of Hilawi has its own uniqueness. Who designed it?


Ritu Lalit: I must thank M/s Popular Prakashan. Of course, we argued. I behaved hard to please. I drove their art department insane with my nitpicking. But I feel the result is worth it.


Mansi: What are your expectations from the book?


Ritu Lalit: Haha! What a question! What does a mother expect from her baby? Brilliant success, of course!


Mansi: When can the readers buy the book? Any pre-order program?


Ritu Lalit: My publishers are setting up the pre-order program. I will notify you as soon as it is set up.


Mansi: We are waiting, Ritu Ji. I was very much curios to know that your first novel was published by the well-known Indian publisher, Rupa Co. And now, your second book is being published by Popular Prakashan. How do you manage to hunt down such major publication houses?


Ritu Lalit: I guess I am lucky. I sent “A Bowlful of Butterflies” as an unsolicited manuscript to Rupa & Co. They were kind enough to give me a break for which I will be forever grateful. Preeti Singh of Popular Prakashan loved HILAWI..


Mansi: Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?


Ritu Lalit: Believe in your dreams. Pursue them. They become novels. And never write for an audience. Write for yourself. If you do that, others will connect with you and your book will do well.


Mansi: What after Hilawi?


Ritu Lalit: I am done with my third book, and started working on my fourth. Writing fiction is very addictive. At some level, my mind is engaged in weaving and unraveling plots and chatting with my characters. Yes, to me they are real.


Mansi: Thanks a lot, Ritu Ji. Wishes for your upcoming book, Hilawi. We are eagerly waiting to grab a copy.


Ritu Lalit: Thank you, Mansi.