Soul Cosmic by Himani

Author Bio:

Abhirup Dhar is a Kolkata-born bestselling author and has lived in various cities and towns. His books include ‘Once Again… With Love!’ and ‘Stories Are Magical’ after which he delved into horror with ‘Hold That Breath!’ which went on to top the Amazon bestseller charts for months since the very first day of its release and was among its Best Reads. His next books ‘The Belvoirbrooke Haunting’ and ‘Hold That Breath: 2’ topped the Amazon charts again. Abhirup has also been endorsed by renowned filmmaker Vikram Bhatt.

‘Ghost Hunter: Gaurav Tiwari’ (first published by Westland) has been phenomenally received by readers, topped the Amazon charts too and the book was endorsed by notable film producer Sunil Bohra who also acquired it for screen adaptation much before its release. The major web series is being created by some prominent names in the Indian film industry. Recipient of various awards and honour for his notable works, all his other works are also being represented and considered for screen adaptations.

Mid-Day calls him ‘the most acclaimed name in Indian Horror Writing…’ Zee5 has recently called him ‘the biggest Indian horror writer in the country and one of the most renowned authors who keeps us holding our breath’! As per The Times of India, he is ‘a distinguished figure in the realm of horror literature, celebrated for his mastery of the genre’.

‘HAUNTINGS’ published by Rupa Publications topped the charts again and was received well. ‘Ghost Hunter: Gaurav Tiwari’ was republished by Rupa too and it continues to be a benchmark for the Indian horror and paranormal genre. His latest and ninth book is ‘Karma’, which has been published by Om Books International. There are many more works to come.

Q1. Tell us something about yourself.

Firstly, thank you for having me for the interview. We have known each other since my first book release in 2015 and I would like to take this opportunity to also thank you for being with me all these years. About me, I’m an author with nine book releases now, majorly focusing on the horror genre. Apart from the books which are being written and getting published, I also have them being adapted for the screen now and also working in tandem with the Indian film industry. Gosh, when I started off my authorship journey, I used to have a long answer to this question. Now with so much that has happened and happening, I would want to keep it brief and let my work do the talking. Someone has become more mature, I guess.

Q2. How many Novels have you written? What is the Genre of your books?

Eight of them; one book got released twice. I am completely into horror now and very happy bringing up the genre in our country in my own little way.

Q3. Your first book was a love story, why did you shift to horror genre?

Honestly, I wanted to debut with horror itself but the manuscript I was working on wasn’t shaping up well for me back then. I then remembered that I had written a book just for the sheer joy of it during a break between my postgraduate and first job after it. It was a rom com. I shared it with a few folks who told me it struck a chord, and I should get published. That is when I decided to get into the writing world. The horror manuscript I was working on was released a few years later and it was based on a short story I had written as a child. I was always into horror since childhood itself – be it reading ghost stories, writing them in my notebooks or for the school magazine, watching horror movies or visiting deserted places as I was always curious about the afterlife. Also tried calling ghosts!

Q4. How do you balance your work and writing together?

I would say time management and discipline do help. It isn’t easy for sure. I come back home at late evenings daily, mentally and physically exhausted. I make it a point to spend some time with my family and then on most late nights, I sit to write. While it doesn’t happen always as writing is best when it comes organically. But the discipline and manifestation help. Even when I am not writing, I keep thinking about the plot, characters, writing and rewriting. I also keep deadlines for myself and I must say I am mostly in sync with my plans.

Q5. Do you plan your stories in advance, or do they unfold as you write?

I do plot my stories in advance but prefer it when I go with the flow while writing. I feel that is when I enjoy my writing the most. If I enjoy what I write, I know my readers will enjoy reading it too. However, for nonfiction works, there is more research required but that is an important part of the process.

Q6. I have read all your books; how did you get ideas or inspiration for writing those stories.

I am essentially a very nostalgic person and would credit my growing-up years to be an inspiration for my stories. I went to a boarding school in Darjeeling and the winter vacations were spent in tea gardens in remote places of Assam, apart from erstwhile Calcutta. I grew up hearing about urban legends and folklores, reading and watching horror.

Q7. What is the hardest part of writing horror stories?

To make it relatable. Everyone falls in love, either before marriage or after marriage (in case of arranged marriages). You instantly relate to love stories and relate with the characters. But how many of us have seen ghosts or have sensed any paranormal activity? Now, just because we don’t see something, it does not mean spirits don’t exist.

Q8. Which character in your books you are most connected with and why?

Can’t really choose one as they all are special. I am connected to all of them while writing. If I still must choose, I’d say that I think Karma has shaped up well as a character. He isn’t perfect. He has made mistakes. He is like any of us. It is actually a very complex character, and I thought I wrote him well. Also, since I love dogs, I also thought Percy in ‘Woof’ from ‘Stories Are Magical’ was a well-written one.

Q9. Karma, your latest book has a unique title. How did you discover that title?

I am a strong believer in the concept of Karma and feel it’s like a boomerang – whatever you do in life comes back to you – good, bad, ugly. The protagonist in the book has made mistakes, consciously or subconsciously and is in the midst of the turmoil along with his life partner Sakshi. I thought, why not just name the character Karma? It’s an interesting title for a horror book.

Q10. How long did it take you to complete your latest book?

It took me many sleepless nights  to get the plot right and on a dark rainy night, the perfect plot struck me. I wrote the plot synopsis that night and then completed the book in three months which included a lot of rewriting as well, as there was a sub-plot in the original manuscript which was later edited out to make it more fast-paced compared to the slow burn it was turning out to be.

Q11. Are there any authors or books that inspired your writing Journey?

As a child, I used to read many Bengali short horror stories. I think Satyajit Ray was not just a great filmmaker which he is mostly known as but also a superlative storyteller. Apart from Feluda, he wrote some brilliant horror stories with great concepts, but people know little about them. I also grew up on R.L. Stine’s books (Fear Street series; not Goosebumps) and enjoyed his writing. A book called ‘The New Year’s Party’ is fondly remembered by me as a wonderful one. Read a few of Stephen King’s books too. Then, there were the classic books which I read too including Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. It was also very nice meeting Ruskin Bond in person during my earlier days as an author and telling him that I’d be focusing on horror.

Q12. What sparked your passion for storytelling?

It dates to my school days when I used to write stories (and even an amateur movie script) on my notebooks and keep them to myself. So, I was always a storyteller and wrote before becoming anything else. During my college days and even later, I did some freelancing and reviewed movies till I came out with my first book in 2015.

Q13. What is your favorite genre in writing or reading both?

I obviously love horror. Murder mysteries/ whodunits would come next followed by romance, if it is written well.

Q14. What was the most surprising review you got from your readers which made you smile?

There are many wonderful reviews which I come across and they make me smile. But it’s mostly when someone says that he or she never liked horror, but my books changed that outlook and also, when people say that the book quenched their thirst for some good horror.

Q15. How did you develop your character? Are they based on real people or entirely created?

If it’s fiction, the characters are created by me. Writers need to be good observers too and I am one. I might as well be conversing with a friend or someone I have met for the first time and pick up a few traits and use them to develop a character. It is also true that there is a part of the author in some characters he or she writes. But when I’m writing a book like ‘Ghost Hunter: Gaurav Tiwari’, the focus is more on the real-life characters. For presenting Gaurav Tiwari to the readers and his many passionate followers and paranormal enthusiasts, I watched many of his earlier shows, You Tube videos, read about him, spoke in detail with members of Indian Paranormal Society and Haunting: Australia, to do justice to him.

Q16. What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

Be it my horror outings ‘Karma’, ‘Ghost Hunter: Gaurav Tiwari’, ‘HAUNTINGS’, ‘Hold That Breath’, ‘Hold That Breath: 2’, ‘The Belvoirbrooke Haunting’ or ‘Stories Are Magical’, ‘Once Again… With Love’, the idea has always been to entertain my readers. I would want them to have a good and engaging time, relate with the setting and characters and be transported to the world I create in my books for those hours of reading them, and would want the experience to linger on for months and years to come.

Q17. As an Avid reader, I don’t like horror books, as I love to read romantic novels with happy endings. But your books created an impact on me. Tell me what thought was in your mind while writing horror books to make readers engaged like me?

The writer in me would like to thank you for the statement. I kept it simple really. I knew catering to horror and non-horror buffs at the same time would be difficult. So, being a horror buff myself, I know what they want, and I write what I find missing in Indian horror. For readers like you, I create relatable characters and a setting to tell a simple story differently or a different story simply.

Q18. What challenges did you face while publishing your books and how did you overcome them?

Too many really. I began my authorship journey from being self-published and now, I get published by the top publishing houses. I would like to thank my literary agent, Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers who has faith in me and my craft. It also helps that he understands the horror genre well. Publishers were skeptical about horror and paranormal earlier and though things have changed now, they are still looking more at nonfiction. I am trying to maintain a healthy mix of both fiction and nonfiction in my oeuvre now.

Q19. What do you love the most: Being a writer or job?

As I mentioned earlier, I was always a writer first before becoming anything else. But in today’s world, authors must have to do many hats. All authors have other avenues of income. Some mention it, some don’t. Some are honest, some are not. You must pay the bills after all, and the income needs to be consistent. Come to think of it, many of the brilliant authors we know died penniless. It’s a good thing that authors today don’t!

Q20. Any message for the Readers?

Thank you, dear readers, for being with me all these years. Gratitude! There is a lot more coming up and I’m sure you will be prouder of being my reader. In the meantime, I’ll try and give you something different and better each time I’m out with any work. Love & Fear!

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Abhirup Latest book link: https://amzn.in/d/381Obux