Interview with Dr. Banerjee

A pediatrician by profession, Vivek Banerjee lives in Saharanpur with his parents, obstetrician wife and two children. In his own words,  Dr. Vivek Banerjee, the author of ‘The Long Road‘ is a “Full time paediatrician ( by choice) and part time author ( by chance)”

Q: Could you tell us about your debut novel “The Long Road”?

It is a book about five resident doctors. They come to Grant Medical College from different backgrounds and with differing aims. Sarika is a very ambitious, hardworking and driven girl who wants to succeed at any cost. It is her life’s mission to become a neurosurgeon and excel in a field dominated by men. Her ex-boyfriend Rahul, who is a genuinely nice guy but easygoing to a fault, follows her with the hope of engineering reconciliation. Then we have Ranjiv the rebel, whose only aim in life is to chart a path different from the one his famous doctor dad wants him to walk. Hina is a bright and beautiful girl from a conservative and poor background, who finds the lifestyle changes more challenging than the burden of academics. And lastly, there is Sagarika, the girl who finds her American dream going horribly wrong.

The novel is a peek into the life of doctors in the making; it is about little triumphs and defeats, love and friendship and the struggle they have to face in balancing their professional and personal lives. It is an attempt to explore the world of these five individuals and documents their journey to find some meaning in life.

Q: Any character (from your book) that felt was a reflection of you? Something about the character

you would've wanted to change?

You may not believe it, but the book is not autobiographical. I don’t think any character resembles me even remotely. Anyway, it is much more fun to write about interesting fictional characters than base them on real life boring people (like me).

Q: How does it feel to handle two professions simultaneously – being a doctor and recently being an

author?

No problems with that as I have just one profession, that of a pediatrician. I am an author by hobby and writing is more or less a means to escape from the pressures and stresses of my profession. I have no pretensions of being a serious / full-time writer.

Q: Nobel Prize for Literature or the Man Booker? Which one you prefer and Why?

Neither! As I said earlier I am fully aware as my limitations as an author. I just want some audience for my work. If my book brings a smile to your face and finds even a minuscule place in your heart, that is reward enough for me……..

Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Not much. I just wanted to give the reader a peek into the world of doctors and talk about the dilemmas, trials and tribulations they face in their day to day life. I wanted to highlight the conflict every doctor has to face in balancing his/her personal and professional life. And above all, I wanted to write a feel good book, something that would leave every reader with a warm feeling in his/ her heart. Whether I have succeeded or not is up-to you all to decide.

Q: Was getting published a difficult task?

Let me just say that it is much easier to write a novel than to find a good publisher.

Q: Which is one thing which you would like to change about Indian Publishing Industry? And Why?

Now that is a loaded question. But I just wish that the industry was not so personality, publicity and commerce driven. Now I have told you what I wish for but I don’t have the foggiest notion of how that can be achieved.

Q: After “The Long Road”, what next?

 My contribution to Chicken Soup for the soul- Indian doctors has been accepted and is under publication. Few short stories are under consideration for various anthologies. And I wish to write a thriller this time, maybe a medical thriller, a genre unexplored in India till now. A collection of stories about paranormal is also on the anvil. So exciting times ahead, at least for me.

And I continue to blog at http://drvbanerjee.blogspot.com/

Thank you Dr. Banerjee for sparing some time out from your busy schedule to share your experience with "Things in Black n White" readers. May you debut novel get a good readership and we get to read more and more from your end.

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Author Kunal Bharadwaj speaks about his Debut Novel

Kunal Bharadwaj is a consulting professional and newly turned author. Last month, he released his debut novel ‘Love was never mine’. So, for Things in Black n White readers he has shared few words about his debut novel and his journey so far.

Me: Tell us something about your book Love was Never Mine.
Kunal: Well, this book is actually a story of a simple guy Rahul, who falls in love with a sweet yet materialistic girl Shreya. This story is all about such small incidents, their impact on the protagonist. I have tried to convey a story of many lovers who are in place of Rahul.
How he tries to impress a girl whom he was almost sure, would never reciprocate same feelings. Does Shreya realize true love, or does Rahul eventually re-define his own meaning of love. The story is all about that.


Me: Are experiences based in this book related to someone you know, or events in your own life?
Kunal: A writer always has his/her soul in the first book. But this experience is not only taken from my own life, but your life, everyone else's lives. It’s a story which has been repeated umpteen numbers of times in many of our lives


Me: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Kunal: The climax!! Particularly the prologues…
I wanted to have such a climax which should actually make people understand the indispensability of love n understanding. Even if 1% of ppl do understand it, my job is done

Me:When did you first consider yourself as a writer?
Kunal:Some one year back... When I wrote some 40-50 pages....n my friend just sneaked in. She suggested giving the story a try as it’s too good to be published. That certainly boosted my confidence.

Me:Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Kunal: Yes...there are quite a few in order.
1. Life is not a race, everyone needs stability. But we always love to fly like a butterfly without caring for the same
2. Wanted to convey the impact of smaller instances which we feel kiddish to discuss...but which each of us bury within ourselves as a deep pain
3. Love does happen all of a sudden. But like our own fete, we can't see when it’s coming, and realize its importance only when it’s gone

Me:Kunal, your novel title is very interesting. How did you come up with the title?
Kunal:The title suddenly popped up when I was half way through the novel.
I was not sure to give it a happy/sad ending....Once I decided a sad ending, it just came from within but I changed it after having few discussions with my friends.


Me:After love was never mine, what next?
Kunal:Well, right now I am working on a story which will be quite different from this genre. The story is about a guy from a small town, who faces a lot of turbulence in his life due to increasing criminal activities in his hometown. He loses his grandpa who was his support. He then aims to be a politician to change the system, but once when he enters ends up being one of them.

Does his conscience win? Or does the dirty politics sink in one more or in fact two more people…


Me:Anything specific you have to say to your readers?
Kunal:
1. The book ‘Love was never Mine’ is the first book and more than anything else I have tried to give readers an experience which is same as watching Avatar. As in the readers will feel as if they r living the entire scenes n characters
2. I wish to communicate the agony of a guy/girl who could never express their love for someone through this simple story. Hope even 1% people get it communicated.
3. I could have written a literary masterpiece, but then I don't want just appreciation. I need people (simple people) to read it and thus a simple style and story.
There are more to come n hope readers have their love n faith intact with them.



If you like the interview and want to checkout the sites on which the book is available:

For international users : Amazon.com

For indian users : Flipkart, Book Shop of India

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Interview with Abhishek Bose

Debut Novel of author Abhishek Bose - Legally, Lovingly Yours is now available in Indian Market. He is a  final year law student, still studying and has already a novel published. So, let's here what Abhishek Bose has to say about his journey and his debut novel Legally, Lovingly Yours.
Exclusively for Things and Black and White readers, Abhishek Bose has taken sometime out from his busy schedule (he is busy in marketing the book as of now).

Me: Tell us something about your novel.

Abhishek: My book is a college romance, but unlike the one's written by students of IITs and IIMs...mine is based in a fictitious law school in Dehradun.

The book is titled ‘Legally, Lovingly Yours’ as it's a love story in a law school. So, I wanted the title to be a bit catchy.

Me:   What are the good and bad experiences you had in your journey so far?

Abhishek: Talking about the first journey, it was long, a bit frustrating at times, but overall exciting. I faced some problems while writing such as ‘writer's block’ and ‘invasion of privacy’.

Coming to the second journey, it was tougher than the first one. I got rejected by 4-5 publishers before Mahaveer Publishers accepted it. And the journey is still on :)

Me: How did you get plot idea for ‘Legally, lovingly yours’?

Abhishek: The idea for plot came to me while I was in a bus.

I was in Delhi and was traveling with a friend of mine when we struck up a conversation about the first time authors and increasing number of books of students from IITs, IIMs, etc.

I just mentioned the unavailability of any book by a law school student, to which she replied 'Tum Likhna' (You Write). These two words stuck with me and thus the seeds were sown.

Me: Which character in your novel you can relate yourself to?

Abhishek: Candidly speaking, I can relate myself to the main protagonist of the novel, who goes by the same name as mine – Abhishek. My character and characteristics at times matches with the protagonist. Well, you can say that I based the main lead on myself.

Me: How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

Abhishek: About my personality I can only say that I have somewhat based the main protagonist on myself. So may be it reflects me as I am.

Regarding life experiences… Well, some incidents have been taken from my friends and my life. But overall it's a work of fiction.

Me: Who, if anyone, has influences your writing?

Abhishek: Regarding getting influenced, I can't say that I got influenced by anybody or not. This is because, be it my home or college, nobody till now has attempted such a task. Moreover, I was not in touch with any author previously. It all happened when I started networking to promote my book.

Me: Anything you like to say to your readers?

Abhishek: All I want to say is that please read my book and do give your feedback and criticism both.  Positive and negative comments are welcome. It would help me in the future writings...Happy Reading!! :)

Thank you Abhishek for your valuable time and interview specially for Things in Black and White blog and it's readers. We wish you all the success in your future plans and hope to read more novels by you in the near future.

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