Bengaluru-based youngsters, Aparna and Sanjana Kapur were bitten by the writing bug early on. But, it was their discovery about sharing a common love for creating a fantasy world, with a twinge of realism and social relevance, that transpired into writing their debut novel Ruckus on the Road.
“Our father was in the Air Force and so we moved a lot. We travelled and met new people and I think that’s where my love for stories started. Our parents also filled our home with books and so they were our constant friends!” shares Sanjana. While their book is targeted at 10-year-olds and early teens, the duo believes the book has something which reverberates with individuals of all ages.
“I don’t really feel that a book needs to have a message. I just feel it’s enough to enjoy reading it. And if people were to take something away from this book, it would just be to embrace the silly and weird parts of life,” opines Aparna, when quizzed about the connect and perspective they wish to build, through the book.
The light-hearted read essays around a dubious travelling trio, and how they discover curious lands, come across curious-er characters and tumble headlong into more chaos, leaving a fine trail of mess behind.
Given how writing was always a passion for the sisters, coming out with a book was always on the cards. “Both our jobs entail writing and editing stories, so it’s easy to juggle the two. We are doing what we love. Writing a book has always been something we were sure we would do and writing the first one together has been a joy. We definitely hope to send our characters on new adventures in the future!” adds Sanjana.
A fresh new book and a nine to five to juggle with, it goes without saying how the days are packed. But, does that deter them for indulging in some creative downtime? Not really. “I love taking pictures. Photography is next to writing. I feel pictures have stories too. I am very particular about garbage management.
We’ve been segregating our waste at home and I think more people should be doing it. Groups like the Ugly Indian are doing some excellent work to clean up the city and I wish more people volunteer,” elucidates Sanjana.
Giving us a peek into what’s next on the anvil, they sign off saying, “Hopefully, what’s next is plenty of writing resulting in fame, fortune and an insufferable ego. But, for now, we’ll happily settle for plenty of writing! A young author only needs a room of her own, no matter the city. If we dial down the noise and dial up the libraries, I think Bengaluru would make as good a hub as any.”
