Travel + Leisure - India & South Asia
THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE
Every person has a story, believes Karishma Mehta, the writer-photographer who launched the iconic photoblog, Humans of Bombay. The founder talks to BAYAR JAIN about her nine-year-long entrepreneurial journey, scouring the streets for stories, and more.
Novelist Anita Nair’s stories often deal with topics such as male entitlement and women’s pursuit of independence. ADILA MATRA caught up with the author at the recently held Kerala Literature Festival where she spoke about her favourite locations from books, train journeys, and process of writing. You dabble in different genres—from historical fiction to crime thrillers to women’s stories. Which is your favourite genre to write? Is it difficult moving from one to another?
I think a genre happens because there is a certain story I have in mind, and I think the story happens first in my head. Then I look at it and think where this is going to fit. And at that point, the genre happens. So, I don’t feel as if I am writing it as a specific genre, I am just writing the way I always write. Then the world classifies it.
Travel plays an important role in your books. Which is a location from a book—fictional or real— that you loved?
I like travelling to places where novels are set. One among these is Kuantan in Malaysia, which appeared in an old book titled A Town Like Alice written by Nevil Shute Norway. It is a part of Malaysia where nobody goes to because the beaches there are nothing to write or talk about.
It is also predominantly a conservative part of Malaysia, unlike popular destinations like Langkawi. The novel is a war tale, and the place appears at a point when something happens between the protagonist and the love interest. The novel is about how the Japanese catch hold of this Australian man for stealing to give to the English prisoners of war.
All of this happens in Kuantan. And after I read this, I just wanted to go there. And I did.
Which is the one place that you’ll never get tired of?
My hometown of Mundakkottukurussi in Palakkad, and Italy.
This is an age of Instagram writers and poets. What is your take on this? Do you think this is inevitable to the evolution of art?
I think it’s nice that everybody has a poem and that they want to put out. But I just wish that they wouldn’t take themselves so seriously. It’s like me putting up a photograph of a dish I made. That shouldn’t make me think I am a chef. You can think you’ve created something wonderful. But you cannot expect the world to fall at your feet and say you’re the world’s greatest poet. That is the only aspect I have a problem with.
You have penned down multiple stories on train journeys. Are you a fan of trains?
I like the fact that, on a train, the world keeps changing as we are moving, and the people you are surrounded by also keep changing. I love the transient nature of a train, and used to be very fond of train journeys until I fell ill on a train and since then, I have a bit of a fear.
What is your writing process like?
I write longhand, which hardly anybody does anymore. I don’t have multiple drafts. Because I write longhand, I think about what I’m writing, there’s a lot of thought that goes into every scene that I create for every character who comes in it. So, at the most, I might do pre-drafts, and the draft is what I show to my editor and I don’t send it to anybody else.
Your first narrative was of an elderly woman who you met at Marine Drive. How did it all begin?
I was 21 at the time. We were walking down Marine Drive asking people if we could speak to them but were constantly rejected. Finally, a widow agreed to talk to us. She had recently lost her husband and was looking to get back to work. That story nudged me to keep learning about people’s lives.
Do you feel the pressure of staying relevant to your 4mn plus social media following?
We keep reinventing whether it’s with books or with our latest show How The Hell Did I Do It? But at the core, we’ll remain storytellers.
What are some of the challenges you have faced during your entrepreneurial journey?
When I started out, my father would say it’s unsafe to venture out at 8:30-9 pm in the evening to talk to people. Sure, he had his reasons, but I’m stubborn! Life cannot be linear, the challenges make it interesting. They keep you in check or you could succumb to routine.
Can you tell us the most memorable story you’ve heard?
I don’t think it’s fair to pick one because everybody’s journey has brought us to this point. Everybody trusted us to share their tale. The interviews with our Prime Minister and Ratan Tata were huge. There was also a story of a woman who fought for six years in court against domestic abuse by her ex-husband.
How would you describe Mumbai?
Magic! It is my longest and hardest love story. Even though commuting to work can be tough and rents can make you cry, it’s a strange sort of addiction. I have a very passionate love affair with the city.
What kind of traveller are you?
I don’t think I fit into any boxes. Today, I might want to go on a wildlife safari and tomorrow, New York or London. I’m not a hitchhiker or backpacker though. I need everything planned!
What are your favourite places for a holiday?
Ranthambore is beautiful and the most understated experience in India. I also love the Maldives. When time permits, I’d like to do a Maldives holiday annually. I also love London. There’s a city in Portugal called Porto, it’s so quaint and beautiful! Within India, Kochi is amazing. Panna is a beautiful forest. Obviously, Goa. I visit it three-four times a year, sometimes ad hoc.