On
Author’s Circle today, meet author and filmmaker,
Harsh Warrdhan, to talk about writing, life and his book,
When Hari Met His Saali.
Harsh Warrdhan, to talk about writing, life and his book,
When Hari Met His Saali.
Hi Harsh, thanks for dropping in to chat with us.
So tell us, what’s When Hari Met His Saali about?
HW: The book is about how a young
woman who has everything going for her drives away her man due to her
unrealistic expectations of romance. Things really get spicy when he falls for
her sister.
Her idea of romance comes from movies and magazines. His idea of romance is that it is unnecessary.
Theirs was a love story that was never going to be conventional. But when Tia’s sister, Simi walked into their lives, what happened to Hari and Tia was something that nobody would have predicted.
Mix two sisters with bad history between them and one clueless man, to form one whacky triangle, and you get a cautionary lesson in how you should be careful of what you wish for in the name of love.
Set in Los Angeles and Nagpur, India, 'When Hari Met His Saali' is a funny, fresh, and outrageous look at young people and their dreams, longings, aches and heartbreaks. It is a fascinating take on the grand idea of love and the reality of romance. In a breezy, humorous narrative anchored around a magical twist, the story of Tia, Simi and Hari unfolds from romantic comedy into a climax full of suspense.
What’s your favorite line from your novel?
Why?
HW: ‘The
first thing anyone should know about Simi Galhotra was that God exercised his
sense of humor through her life.’ When Simi’s character is introduced in the
story, we already know about her sister Tia’s rocking life. This line
foreshadows Simi’s contrasting life when compared to Tia’s.
Do you have any strange writing habits?
HW: I write the last chapter first.
That is strange...
What does your day look like?
HW: It always starts with yesterday’s
to-do list.
Huh. Mine too :)
Which author/s have inspired you the most?
HW: Elmore Leonard, Raymond Chandler
and Billy Wilder, of course.
If your book becomes a movie whom would you want
to play the hero and the heroine?
HW:Disney cartoon characters.
What??? Hm.
How did you become a writer? In other words,
tell us YOUR STORY.
HW: Necessity is the mother of
discovering if one can write. While finishing my engineering, I was
simultaneously applying for a film school in U.S. One of the requirements to
securing an admission was to write an essay saying why they should accept me in
the university. I wrote a 4 page long essay completely made up of Hollywood
film titles. It started with ‘To Sir, with Love’, the 1967 Sidney Poitier film.
Since I got accepted everywhere I applied, I thought I was a good writer. But,
it was the fun I had while writing it that really kept me going back to
writing.
What is your least favorite part about the
writing/publishing profession?
HW: Publishing industry is too laid
back. I’m sure the publishing industry feels the same way about the authors,
especially in terms of keeping the deadlines J
What
is your best marketing tip?
HW: Be shameless. Wear your heart on
your sleeves.
Why
write what you write?
HW: Nobody else has such twisted idea
of beautiful things ;)
Which
is the best character you’ve written? Is he or she your favorite? Why?
HW: Tia Malhotra in When Hari Met His
Saali is the best character I have written. As a writer she is my favorite but
as a reader she wouldn’t be which was the intention. We all know people like
Tia. They do all the wrong things for the right reasons. We admire their zest
for life but we wouldn’t want them as a close friend. In her fallacy she is the
most realistic character of the story.
Naturally,
in part you are all your characters (they come from your head) but which of
your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?
HW: It has to be Simi Galhotra in When
Hari Met His Saali as she is so much like how I used to be. Although fictional
and written by me, she is the only woman who could ever inspire me to be a
woman. How convenient huh? ;)
What
do you wish to convey through your writing?
HW: Unapologetic entertainment.
What can we expect from you next?
HW: In terms of my
next novel, I am very excited about a high concept romcom which I have just
locked and there is one more which is also a romcom but this one reflects my
own life. For this one, before I commit, I need more time to come to terms with
the idea of my life being in a book J
To end lets try a Rapid Fire round. Your answer should be the first word/s that
pops into your head when you think of:
LIFE: Illusion
PASSION: Sex & food…together.
HERO: Cycles
LOVE: Thy neighbor’s wife.
HATE: Everything equally.
Thank you, once again, for guesting on my blog, Harsh
Warrdhan, and wishing you the best with your books.
To connect with Harsh click on his social media:
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