Interview of Ehsaan Nashad, Author of “True Lies and Hump & In search of Love”

 

Interview of Ehsaan Nashad, Author of “True Lies and Hump & In search of Love”.

 

After his book “True Lies and Hump gained fame all across the country, Ehsaan Nashad is back with his new book- In Search Of Love. This novel is again related to the youngsters and is a love story.  As his book cover launches, he shares some of his true life story with us.

1) Tell us something about your childhood.

Probably to make things interesting I can give you a couple of incidents. I have done my schooling in around four-five schools across the country. I studied with my sister, who is a year elder to me. It was a problem as she is totally opposite to me. I was always a back-bencher. Not like the other guys. Anything that went wrong with me, my sister used to be intimidated about it. That is why I used to fall in trouble. So this is something that I can recollect about my childhood.

2) How did you start writing?

Do you want to know the truth? What do you want to know? (Laughs) There were a couple of incidents that made me start writing. It was when I was a growing up teenager. It was during my early teenage that I started writing. As many writers do, I don’t know if all do but I started writing poetry to girls. That for a while I started off with. Yes, that I do it even to this day. After that there were other things as well like Malgudi Days that used to be telecasted in Doordarshan. The story actually got me thinking. Then I used to hear stories from my elders. Then I got into this English and later started composing Hindi shayari and all. Then I started creating my own stories in my head and then I decided to put it down. So this is how the journey began.

3) How do you find the books of other Indian authors of the same genre like you?

Most of the books in the same genre sell because of good marketing irrespective of its merit. I have hardly read such books but I feel the successful ones must have touched people in a way or two and that’s why they are a success. Having said this there is a lot of scope of improvement.

4) Do you write on the experiences of your personal life?

My imagination at times tends to mix with the reality. So not really in a position to say if it was my experiences or just delusions.

5) As an author who was your inspiration?

At first I didn’t idolize anyone as such. But I am always been entreat by the life of Keats. I can connect to that person. I can relate a lot to John Keats. Then there is Fredrick Ritchin. I really liked his writing. I liked how he changed a lot of people in the world though a little controversial. I don’t admire them as such but I really connect to these authors.

6) How did your first book “True Lies and Hump” happen?

True Lies and Hump is basically I wouldn’t say a romantic novel which revolves around an IT Life story. I was there at an institute where a scandal took place and I really wanted to write about it.  With my true experiences with love and everything I wanted to experiment. Well, it’s a tragic tale with a tragic ending to it. So all this while maybe I was too much attracted to tragedy, so it happened that way. I have spent a lot of days crying in the nights. You know, to get into the feel of it.

7) Can you tell us something about your new book, “In search of Love”?

The book is basically about you about me.  It’s about people lost in the life. It’s about everyone. So it’s like a constant journey to look for love in life.  To know more you have to read the book.

8) The reading habits of the children are diminishing day by day. What would like to comment on that?

I would ask people not to watch anything and everything on the television. I have stopped watching the television for the past 10 years. I watch movies on my laptop. I don’t want to watch anything and waste my time. To the students I would say that reading is not bad (laughs). It may be a bit boring but it will help you a lot. I would ask all the kids to read newspapers. That would make them aware of what is happen all over the country.

9) Your second book is on love. So what is love according to you?

You know you are in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams and the sweetest and purest form of pain is love. For today's youth love is a form of self expression, a form of conformity that they are not alone and a hope that makes them forget their reality and embrace the better things that life has to offer.

10) Your latest book is also about love, so what message does it gives?

Message is clear, to never lose hope in the worst of adversities. Do not blame yourself for the doings of others to you or in general and to always believe that there is someone out there who loves you more than you do. Love is not a passing cloud to enjoy the showers and move on, it is a line that you draw on a rock, and it would continue to exist until you are as strong as it is.

-Jaismita Alexander.