Swati Chaturvedi has had a long career in journalism but had always wanted to write a book. Finally, she took a plunge and wrote Daddy’s Girl, about the death of a girl called Ambika, daughter of the Nalwas. An investigative journalist called Meera, like Swati herself, goes after a story which is reminiscent of the Aarushi Talwar case — a teenage girl’s murder that had shocked the country a few years ago. But Swati denies a connection with the Aarushi case. In an interview, she talks about her love for news, stories and the written word.
What brought on the idea of this book?
I always wanted to write. I got bored with doing 24/7 television and wanted to take a sabbatical and finally write a book. It is an insider’s account of how media politics work and the interplay with a murder mystery. Since I have always been an investigative journalist and my first beat was crime, it seemed like a natural fit.
Is there a connection with the Talwar case?
No. It’s going to be a series about Meera — a feisty, fearless investigative reporter.
Which genre draws you to it the most as a reader and a writer?
Crime fiction. As a reader and a writer, both.
Which book do you keep revisiting time and again?
Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy is my favourite, and also most of Jane Austen’s books.
Which is that one classic that you haven’t read so far?
Always wanted to read War and Peace. Never got around to it.
