Tuhin Sinha’s DU nostalgia: Reliving it through my book

What makes Kashmir such a ghetto today? That’s what the book reflects and gets into,” says author Tuhin A Sinha about his latest — When The Chief Fell in Love. The book follows the story of Vihaan and Zaira, who fall in love with each other, which is a problem because Vihaan is the defence minister of the country while Zaira is the daughter of a pro-Pakistan Separatist leader.

The book begins in Delhi University (DU) and Sinha, an alumnus of Hindu College, reminisces the good ol’ days fondly. “Through the book, I’m reliving things I would want to have lived in those years. Hindu College, in fact, the entire DU is very serene. A lot of changes have been induced by technology. Back then, if you fell in love with someone from another college, in the absence of a cell phone, you’d have to wait for the next meeting. The waiting time would add to the anticipation,” he says, smiling. “But today, kids are so over-connected, which hampers their relationships,” he adds.

The narrative begins in 1991, with one chapter set in 2030. “The way lovers interact when they are 20 years old, when they are 32, and then 45-46, vary. The emotions are so different, as they are at different stages of life,” he says. Since his debut book — That Thing Called Love (2007) — love has been a prominent theme in Tuhin’s work. He explains, “We’re all suckers for romance. And the absence of it in today’s fastpaced life is what makes romance all the more special.” Ask him if exploring political or controversial themes is something he does intentionally in his books, and he quips that a writer’s job is to “throw up new perspectives”. “They (ideas) need to be seen, even if you don’t agree with them. The point is, as a society we tend to be restrictive.” he adds.