Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 0:55
In conversation with Tarun Mehrishi 📚Ft. Suspense, Crime and thiller
S in this high stakes thiller, Mehroshi weaves a tale of intrigue, art theft and global conspiracy that will leave the readers on the edge of their seats. Well, I don't want to give you any spoilers, but the only hint that I can give you is that the book is inspired from the real events. So do not miss the scripping conversation with Taran Mehroshi. Tune in at 04:00 p.m. In the evening and I will see you on the other end with some interesting questions. Bye
Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 1:27
He has also worked on monetization of public assets such as metro stations and has been a part of several projects. He is now the co founder of a startup in the EV space and the list goes on and on but without any further ado let's welcome him. Hello and good evening sir. Can you please tell us what inspired you to write the book?
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 0:51
And when the COVID Pandemic hit it, work had come to a standstill to begin with and there was time on one's hands, and I had decided at that point to use the time to actually get that project started. So it began by virtue of the COVID Pandemic, as ironic as that is. And then over a period of two, two and a half years, it finally got finished and I was blessed enough that the likes of Penguin were willing to pick it up and publish
Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 0:25
Wow. Two and a half years. That's a pretty good time. But obviously, good things take time. So your book explores a fascinating premise with the worlds of a senior IAS officer and the Chief of Indian Intelligence. Collide, could you give our audience a brief glimpse into the thrilling journey that they will embark on while reading your novel, the Portrait of a Secret? It
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 1:20
In this book, Amitabh has been informed of an impending nuclear strike against India and his only clue to where that strike might be funded from is in relation to the sale of certain art. So it's actually Amitabh who puts two and two together and wonders whether the theft of the paintings might be linked to the funding of the nuclear strikes. And that's how Kaman and Amitabh come together to unravel the entire episode
Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 1:08
So I think that's the fascinating power, I would say, when it comes to fictional novels, especially when they are related to geopolitical areas or true crime events or incidents, that it has the power to transform the reader or a person into some different world that author creates. So that's commendable, and it's very interesting to know. And within the pages of your novel, readers are taken on a thrilling ride, the adventure involving international agencies and historical revelations
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 2:07
The struggles are exactly those that any of us face in our professor employments on a day to day basis, or in our businesses, as the case might be. Right so for Kamal, for example, he's got a couple of challenges. One, he's got the challenge of dealing with a bureaucracy that is not particularly efficient. He is constrained by rules. He's constrained by circumstances. And within those, he's trying to do the best job that he possibly can
Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 1:05
Ah, thank you for sharing some incidents and snippets from the book. And I so much agree to the part where you stated about intuition because at times intuition is overlooked, but it has a very strong impact. Or I would say intuition really works if you really believe in it, because there are many situations or mishappenings in life that you can get saved from if you follow the path of intuition. So, okay, since this was about the characters and the difficulties that characters were facing
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 1:50
If the thinking is that at some point, hopefully it will morph into a book that people are willing to read, that's unlikely to happen. So that dedication, that focus like it's required in a job, like it's required in any entrepreneurial venture, is essential to the book writing process as well. The second exciting and learning experience for me has been how difficult it can be to get feedback on your manuscript. People are busy in their respective lives
And yeah, the way you have described a few glimpse of the book in your interview with Ma'am, I do find this interesting and I hope on reading it, I also want to know one thing, and that is my question, which is how do you keep on going with the chapters? When writing a book, you may start with a very interesting plot. You may start with a very interesting writing. But when you start going into the middle, you start proceeding with the story
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 2:07
Then, for me at least, there was a second phase where you're going through the entire book again, this time from the perspective of trying to make sure that everything that you've written is something that people will enjoy reading
Hey. It's always my it's always my favorite genre, the crime and the thriller mysteries of things. Like, I guess everyone loved it because it's so the plot is so intriguing that we can't move away from the book. And so I have some questions about it that are there any particular authors or books in the crime and the thriller genre that have influenced your writing style? Like, you have written the crime and the thriller based genre books?
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 1:16
In my own experience as grew up, I read quite voraciously and I read quite widely, but a majority of my reading, I would still say, was in this particular genre. So I grew up reading the likes of Ludlam or of Faucet. As I grew a little bit older, maybe a Tom Clancy or Wilbo Smith fell into that category as well. A lot of James Hadley chase. I loved Dan Brown. By no means am I comparing myself to any of these illustrious authors across the world
Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 1:17
Feedback? CS definitely. No matter what part of work culture we are into, whether it is creative, whether it is professional academics or a strictly corporate one, feedbacks are one such thing that can bring a big change. And especially feedback relating to the constructive feedback or constructive criticism that we say
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 1:20
So for anybody who's thinking of writing, of making a career in writing, all good things start to that first single step. Start writing. And please get the first piece done. I don't think it matters whether it gets published or not. I would probably have written a second book anyway, even if the first one was not published. Of course, I'm more excited now because it did get published, but the reward of finishing a project you've started is a reward in itself
Sonali Sharma
@authorsonali · 1:25
And before we leave, there is one last question that I make sure to ask, which is your life mantra or life principle that you have stood by no matter what the situations or circumstances of life were? Like life ethics maybe, or moral values. We can term it as every person has his or her own morals or a set of ethics or principles that a person stands by no matter what the situation of life is. But you won't compromise over that moral or ethics of yours
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 0:36
You're. Thank you so much for having me here, guys. Today, if there is one mantra that I believe I have stood by throughout my life and hopefully will stand by throughout the rest of my life, it is that there's nothing more valuable, nothing more important than one's own integrity. I have tried never to cheat somebody or to shortchange somebody, and that's one attribute of mine that I think has stood me in good stead
Vipin Kamble
@Vipin0124 · 1:06
Good evening, Tarun. First of all, hardiest congratulations for the book. And I have been listening whatever the discussion is happening and it has built some kind of suspense in my mind also to just get the book and read it. So definitely I'll be doing it in future. I have a question in my mind, being an author, you must be getting the reviews and the people, they are suggesting things to you
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 1:46
I got some great ideas out of especially the people that I had solicited a view from. But I also got one idea, one really good idea out of somebody who hadn't really asked. But he did have a chance to read a copy of the manuscript and he came back with a fantastic suggestion which did get incorporated into the book. So you never know, may as well listen to every feedback that's coming your way
A very good evening to you Tarun sir. I am Kadambari Gupta and I am also done PGA. LLB and I am a poet. So I am very happy to know that you are also done LLB and you are a writer as well. A very big congratulations for your book Portrait of a Secret. The title itself looks very interesting and promising
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 0:37
Thank you, Kadambari. That is most kind. My most honest reaction is that the person that inspired me the most to write author wise was actually Chaitan Bhagat. Chaitan Bhagat is also a professional. He has worked in the corporate world for a long time, but everybody in the world knows his name because of what he has done in the literary space. Right. And we've all enjoyed reading his books. We've enjoyed the movies that have been made on the basis of his books
mannya nayar
@shesalliwannabe · 0:11
Hello, sir. Very good evening to you. I would like to ask you what do you think are the core traits of a writer? What brings out in a writer to write? Thank you, sir
Tarun Mehrishi
@tarunmehrishi · 0:31
Agari dusra Dalna he had, or perhaps it is the ability to do a little bit of research to make your surroundings and your environment seem a little bit more believable and relatable to an audience that's reading your book