Thoughts Unsaid: An Interview With Amrita Phadnis

1. You must be answering every time that what made you to write a book.But this time we would like to know what attracted you towards “Blogging” …. as we know that it was the place from where your journey started.
Ha ha! That’s right and I am happy someone asked about blogging.

Blogging just started with the experiences that I was going through in my life. Once I was very sad and upset about whatever was happening in my life and I took my Diary and started writing. I wrote it just for my own memories and later when few people read it, they said I really express the emotions very well and it brought tears to their eyes. I was astonished and wrote another one, and then it never stopped.

2. As your book’s title is “My vows remain unchanged” – we would like to know what “vows” stands or means in your personal life….how much you value your words.|
Oh well to be frank I really connect with the title of the book. The word Vow means a lot in my life. If I promise someone, something, then I am going to follow it throughout my life. I am a person who believes on words. So if I said something then the other person can be sure about me not betraying the vow that I made to them. But it takes something/someone special for me to make a promise to them.

3. Ok. now coming to your book,”Rita”- the protagonist of this book,what helped you to shape this character,any instances?
The character ‘Rita’ is more or less like me. She is tax consultant as well and resides in Hyderabad just like I am. Since this was the debut book I wanted to bring the emotions well and it can be done only if I write from my perspective and that’s what I did. I took the traits, the emotions, characteristics that I have to bring out the character lively and touching. Rita shares the same feelings what I would have in particular situation. So I was my only motivation to shape up ‘Rita’.

4. This story is a romantic genre (to mention it), what’s your thought about this genre as much as Indian market is concerned , how much appealing this genre becomes for any age of person, as we all know that market is full of this genre.
 The best thing about writing for this genre is that you know you have audience for this in the market already. You don’t have to create one. If you observe the trend and views of people, usually it says that romance is and will be the most popular genre always. And talking about Indian Market after Chetan Bhagat’s entry in this genre and looking at his success the authors usually without taking any risk want to write for this genre because of a kind of probability of success. I think this answers your question.

5. Would you like to call your novel “woman centered” one… if yes ,what do you think how much a lady is responsible for maintaining relationships in reality.
Well, I don’t think ‘My vows remain unchanged’ novel is woman centered at all. It’s possibly correct to say it’s a journey of two people falling in love and sharing a relationship. To answer your question specifically, a woman and a man both are equally responsible for maintaining a relationship by not cheating, and betraying behind each other’s back. What I have seen these days is people (both men and woman) are double dating and that’s not ethical in any relationship.

6. Now a really serious one , do you find any difference between status of woman in real life and the books we read where woman are always portrayed as “unbeatable”.
In one word ‘yes’. There is a lot of difference between the status of woman in real life and the books we read. Women are unbeatable emotionally for sure, but the character that is portrayed of a woman in a book is necessarily not true.

7.Any particular incidence in your own novel which is close to your heart and you would like to tell us.
ohhh now this is interesting. I was writing this letter that is chapter number 20, sorry 22 ‘The Vows’. That chapter was very important to define the term ‘Vows’ that Rita makes to Aryan in ‘My vows remain unchanged’. That was the chapter on which whole title was based on. While writing it I thought a lot and literally cried as the vows that I wrote were really true and close to my heart. Those were the Vows that every couple would make to each other when in relationship and crazily in love.

Also writing the end was a little emotional and is close to my heart!

8. What a “perfect relationship” means to you?
That is still a question mark for me. But I think a relationship from heart to heart is always perfect.

9. You observe a lot… right? Its your hobby.Can we know that how this helped you in “writing”?
Yes, observing is what I do most of the times and that really helped me in writing. I have included few characters in the book that actually exist in my real life, of course adding little fiction to it. I observe people around me, their traits, the way they behave and it comforts a lot in writing new and interesting blogs always! Observing any day opens up your thinking about something.

 10. At last, we would be glad if you will say few words on these things:
Life: A mystery. Unfolds things and moments that you never imagined will happen or occur in your life.

Satisfaction: Satisfied? I wonder if there is anyone in here. It’s Very difficult to be satisfied in life. You always want more; want to achieve more than you have now.

Success: Everyone wants it, but only few works for it. If you work hard with full determination it’s yours. It doesn’t come for free and there is always a price attached with it. Ha! I know a long definition.

Love: Feeling that makes you feel life is worth living. It makes you believe in yourself and your guts. Also I think one really needs to be in love with someone to spend their whole life together.

Money: No comments. For me money is just a way to spend my living.

(not to skip) Sleep: Well, to be frank I don’t sleep much. I just sleep because it’s required but yes I love sleeping in peace. Sleeping is somehow a waste of time for me while for others it’s heaven. My mom always scolds me for this! My bad.

–Amita Pandey 

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