Hindi cinema has its own language: Advaitya Kala

After Almost Single, author Advaita Kala’s next is the script of Anjaana Anjaani and the story of Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani.

How did the script of Anjaana Anjaani happen? 
Siddharth (Anand, director) contacted me after reading Almost Single. His wife Mamta had a story idea; I loved the premise and felt it could be developed into something interesting. But I was still unsure, so I took a couple of days, in which I wrote a bio for the characters, gave them names and decided to live with them for a bit. In two days I knew I liked them enough and could tell their story. So I called Siddharth and said I would do it.

Did you need any guidance to write your first script? 
Siddharth asked me to think of him as an editor, so that’s how I worked. He has a great sense of narrative balance — an understanding of how a story needs to be crafted for film. Hindi cinema has its own language, and Siddharth is fluent in it.

Full interview here Indian Express

An evening dedicated to books

At the age of 14 LK Advani read How To Make Friends And Influence People, Advaita Kala has still not sold the rights of her book Almost Single, Gautam Bhimani has taken a lighter take on cricket in his book and calls himself the light side of the game. Chetan Bhagat is getting ready to pen down another book. For Jaswant Singh books are one's best friend. Writing is Gulzar's lifeline. But why are we discussing books and people? That's because a leading publishing house recently completed 75 years and hosts, RK Mehra, Kapish G Mehra and wife Dr Asheena Mehra, made sure no one missed out on good times.

MY VIEW: Every guest got talking to us and shared their views. Whereas, Advani stressed that authors should be readers too, Chetan taught us how to handle embarrassment, "If you are embarrassed, embarrass others!"

HOST KAUN? In the middle of all the revelry, we saw the surprise guests – Vishal Bhardwaj with Rekha Bhardwaj. But later the duo along with Gulzar vanished from the scene. We heard them discussing, "Let's go and have chicken." And when the host stopped them Vishal said, "Hum mehmaan nahi host hai, aap apne mehmaano ka khayal rakhiye hum apna rakh lenge." What a relief, Mehraji, no?

Full report here Times of India 

The monk who sold stories!

The name’s Bond, Ruskin Bond. Author Advaita Kala meets the legendary author in his Mussoorie home to talk about a life without regrets as he turns 76 this week! 

He remembers me instantly from our meeting a year and a half ago. In this time he has read my book and heard the soft murmurs of a film. I am flattered and mention that I have heard of his film as well. In fact, we share a leading lady — Priyanka Chopra. Yes indeed, he laughs. The film. He was offered the role of an old monk in it. But he had to decline; there was to be no bottle. What’s an old monk without a bottle?

So begins my conversation with my childhood hero — Ruskin Bond. It’s Saturday evening at the Cambridge Bookstore in Mussoorie and it’s meet Ruskin hour. Word on the street travels afar, and a queue of impatient readers winds its way around Mall Road. Meeting Ruskin is a must in Mussoorie. He’s a bit like Santa this evening, sitting on a chair, posing with readers and signing books. He smiles every time, always has something to say — a thank you, an anecdote and that delightful laughter that rumbles in his belly before escaping from his mouth in soft chuckles.

Full report here Times of India

Judge a book by its cover

If you do not like this book, return it and you shall get your money back. That’s the promise publisher Hachette India is making with their latest release, Delhi Durbar, a political thriller by Kishan Partap Singh. While there is no information on just how many people returned the book, the ploy is a first for publishing in India.

If the reader will not come to the book stores or portals, then let us go in search of them, seems to be the credo. Penguin India’s Spring Fever, a nine-day open air festival of books, was held in Delhi’s India Habitat Centre. “The idea was to reach out to the potential customer, which we did with the participatory nature of the event, especially the evening sessions where writers read and discussed with audiences,” says Hemali Sodhi, vice-president, marketing and corporate communications, Penguin India.


A brave new word
Think new books just half a decade ago, and the traditional promotion was a book launch, very occasionally extended to a book tour for authors deemed big enough to warrant it. “A book launch is a waste of money,” confided a disgruntled prominent publisher footing the bill for such an event at a luxury hotel. Out-of-the-box promotion meant a seminar, and innovative meant quiz. Even when Advaita Kala’s bestselling Being Single was released in 2007, it was more word of mouth promotion, points out the author. Book promotions definitely did not mean food festivals, fancy merchandise, cross promotions, tent cards, viral marketing, excursions to… dare one mention it… tier-II towns such as Chandigarh, Jaipur or even Raipur. Add vampire parties and yes, return gifts, and it begins to resemble an after party in a fashion week. In high season now, read most of the year, especially in the new capital for publishing in India, Delhi, there’s hardly an evening without a book launch, and on occasion, even big ticket ones by rival publishers have overlapped.


Full report here Financial Express

Advaita Kala turns to scriptwrting

A media report suggests the Almost Single author, Advaita Kala will turn to scriptwriting for Bollywood. While she apparently refused to divulge any details, apart from the fact that it is romantic comedy (what mainstream Bollywood isn't), and that it will be ready in April.

The author claimed she did not watch movies and "that's what makes it so interesting. The story, about the Indian Gen Next, is not based in India. It is like the stuff I write."

Almost Single, which is a semi-autobiographical take on the life on a 20-something hotel executive (Kala worked for the hospitality sector earlier), came out in 2007. She has since been promoting book, which was one of the first chicklit to be published in India, besides working on a sequel.