Love him or hate him, but you definitely can’t ignore him. With more than 10 best-selling novels from his desk, including The Girl of my Dreams, Our Impossible Love, The Boy Who Loved, and many others, Durjoy Dutta has captivated the hearts of a section of readers across the world. He is back with his new novel, When I Am With You, which is about three young people entwined in their feelings. He is currently on a book-signing spree in Kolkata, on October 27-28. Before that, he engages in a chat with The Telegraph where he discusses the things that served as motivation for this novel, including the characters, his family life, and how the changing times have influenced his stories.
You have written quite a few books on the subject of romance; how does this one vary from the other novels that you have written?
More than stories, characters interest me. I write about a character and the story develops
around them. Romance — though necessary since my books are slated in the romance section — is essential but also incidental. When I Am with You is a story about two people who have been disappointed in their families. They are now looking to create their own definition of what a family means to them.
Your book is titled as When I Am with You and yet your protagonist is an independent self-reliant woman. Why is it so?
We like our lives to be witnessed, otherwise what’s the point of doing anything. Unless we can live in a shared experience, everything is a little bit meaningless. The way I see it, we want people to take notice of us, remind us that we are of note, we are worthy, and that the work we do and the things we feel are valid. When I Am with You is about being seen, noticed, and accepted.
The book talks about revolutionising childcare. What inspired you to write about this?
Ever since Rayna (daughter) was born and I started staying at home, it was shocking to me that work-wise, the expectation from parents and other people was exactly the same (and it should be more or less). And since work is important for all of us for reasons other than money and success, and so are kids for the ones who have it. There should exist a structure that allows people to take care of both, without significantly denting expenses.
Do you think that the modern society has changed the way we look into relationships?
Relationships start, flow and end differently now. The rules change continually to fit the norms of the day. I’m sure that it’s more confusing, but I am also certain that it’s more liberating, clearer, and allows more freedom.
You have contradicted the characters in your book, Akshay with Dhiren, and have made the former the ‘perfect genetic material’. Do you think we still go after traditional ways of choosing our partners?
In the future, if there is an application that will read all our neural pathways, memories, wants and desires and then sift through billions of people to find precisely the right match for us, we would still distrust it, and want to make that choice ourselves. The traditional way of listening to hearts, whatever that means, is here to stay.
In today’s society, what kind of family setup do you believe is typical. Or do you think any of them are?
Family is what a person defines it to be. Families hold an immense power over an individual and that power shouldn’t be trifled away. Whatever works best for a person, should be typical for them.
Do you plan to branch out from writing about young Indians in love to explore other genres?
My characters are already getting older as I’m getting older. So, I hope my writing takes that direction too. But too early to say. I do like reading a lot of crime and thrillers, and I wrote one in the past, but let’s see.
Tell us about the projects you have planned for the near future.
First is the two-month-long When I Am with You book tour. Book events are happening after two years. So, I’m excited about it. There might be an audiobook slated for later this year.
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