Human relationships are very complex and impossible to decipher, they follow no rules and heed no advice. They are ruled by the heart and some by the head, some are socially acceptable and some taboo, some have happily ever-afters and some leave a trail of destruction. At the root of all this is love and passion or the lack of it. There is one author who has managed to enter the minds of her readers and read their innermost thoughts and put it on paper. Most bibliophiles would surely be familiar with the name Preeti Shenoy who is one amongst the best-selling authors in India and who was on the Forbes List of 100 most influential celebrities in India. All of her five previously written novels have become instant best sellers and with reasons.
Here in Kochi for the launch of her non- fiction book Why We Love the Way We Do, she talks about her latest novel which is a compilation of her columns written for various papers. Speaking in chaste Malayalam, Bengalaru-based Preethi clarifies, “I made the effort to learn Malayalam out of an interest though Konkani is my mother tongue and what I speak at home. My dad is from Muvattupuzha and mom from Vaikom and I did my graduation from St Teresa’s College in Kochi. I love Kerala and all my books have descriptions of the state.”
Coming back to her latest book, she divulges, “I have put incidents from my life in this book which is a collection of small essays and in certain snippets, you will find references to my marriage, experiences which I have gone through and nothing in my book is fictional; everything are facts. Technology has invaded our relationships and WhatsApp has totally changed the game! Earlier if someone wanted to have an affair, it was very difficult,there would be a dial up connection, there would be people listening, but today sitting in Kochi, you can have an affair with someone in America without anybody the wiser. The world has shrunk and I have addressed all of this in the book. I have written about how the app Tinder has changed lives and how online relationships can become real.”
A lot of research has gone into the book which is evident once you read it. Preeti states that she had a lot of structured interviews with many people and also read up a lot of data. She adds, “It is not me sitting there and giving my opinion or gyaan. There are instances where I have changed the names of the people and explained their point of view so you get a balanced view quoting studies relevant in the Indian context.”
Explaining her personal take on relationships, Preeti opines, “I don’t think love has gone away but people have become impatient. One fact I have noticed among the youth is that they are not willing to get married because they think it is too much work! Everything you get in marriage, be it sex or companionship, you get it outside of marriage so they do not see the need to get married. That is not necessarily a bad thing; times are changing - you cannot say you will only play music in the tape recorder when the iPod is more convenient! I don’t mean to say that marriage is outdated but this is a trend I noticed. Another aspect I noticed is the trend of instant gratification; earlier if someone fell in love then you had to wait till the next day for the person to connect with you but now it is instant. The moment you see the blue tick, you know the other person has read your message. I think WhatsApp is the biggest relationship breaker but we have to move with the changing times.”
Does the concept of true love exist? “Yes, once you find your soulmate your life changes because he enriches your life in every possible way. I am a romantic at heart and true love exists.” A yoga buff, an artist, a blogger and a painter all these facets are a part of her. Preeti also states that it is a very good time for Indian writers with a place for every voice.
