‘Important for people my age to find ways to tell stories’
She’s all of 17, and yet, well on her way to literary stardom. Zuni Chopra, daughter of film journalist Anupama Chopra and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra takes time to open up about a myriad of topics, but she makes sure she’s engaging and witty.
“I’m busy with school work nowadays. The college applications period is also starting soon. But I make sure to write articles for various publications regularly,” says Zuni, who recently came out with her second book, The Island of the Day Before, a collection of stories, flash fiction and poetry. Her first book, The House That Spoke, was published last year.
Her aim behind writing the book, she tells us, was to show “stories which are timeless, and to which we can relate to in the modern world”.
She adds, “Now that I am growing up, I just wanted to show how these stories grow up with us. My first and second book are very different [from each other]; there are no connecting themes. My first novel was set in Kashmir, and this one is in various kinds of genres.”
Zuni’s parents might be deeply involved with films, but she is far away from it. “I aspire to take up writing as a full-time profession. I love to do it as it’s important for people of my age to find ways to tell stories. My parents have been a big influence on me, and more than their professions, it’s their encouragement,” she says.
Since she’s at an impressionable age, what’s her take on the whole books vs e-reader debate? “It totally depends, because the e-reader is an incredible invention. But the feeling of being in a bookstore, surrounded by books is one of my most favourite things in the world. After several years, a physical copy would be far more personal than an e-reader could ever be,” says Zuni.
It would be unfair if we don’t ask her about her father’s films at all. Vidhu has been the man behind several big films such as 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), and more recently, Sanju. Did she watch it?
“Yes. I thought the way (actor) Ranbir Kapoor played the character was amazing. How he played Sanjay Dutt, the way he acted. For example, when he just stood, it was like ‘Oh, Sanjay Dutt actually stands like that!’. In the entire movie, the way he floats through the character, and how he projected it, it baffled me.”
And which film is her favourite from her father’s filmography? “It’s tough, and I know it’s gonna be cliched, but it’s 3 Idiots, because I saw the effect it had on my classmates. The story had such an impact; I saw my classmates open up and explore, and learn to take risks. That’s what I think people of my age really need to understand. People often think movies are just for entertainment, but they have a real impact on people’s lives also,” Zuni signs off.
Now that I am growing up, I just wanted to show how these stories grow up with us. My first and second book are very different [from each other]. ZUNI CHOPRA AUTHOR