‘Writing is easy, trick is to get published’

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Bhai, as his friends fondly call him, has in the past written three books, all of which were works of non-fiction. After writing about film stars in Bollywood’s Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema, exploring the lives of accomplished singletons in Chasing The Good Life and pursuing his passion in a book of cocktails, Patel has finally written a story he has been meaning to tell for several years now.
Since cinema, or rather Hindi cinema, has always intrigued Patel, his first story had to be set in the backdrop of Bollywood. Mothers, Lovers and Other Strangers traces the journey of Ravi, who makes his way to stardom from very humble beginnings. The rags-to-riches story also explores complexity of relationships that come along the way, keeping the reader riveted with ample dramatic twists.
Writing fiction was indeed a departure from all that Patel had done before. But the writer says he enjoyed every moment of it. “Writing fiction is far more difficult. You start with nothing and over time the characters take over and tell their story. But it is a very satisfying experience. It took me seven years to write this book. When I started, Ravi’s mother was the central protagonist, and then eventually Ravi took over. Sometimes these things can surprise you as a writer, but then you must go with the flow,” he says.
The author’s own journey has also been earmarked with several twists. Patel, who was born in Fiji, says, “I grew up in a small town in Fiji where our only source of entertainment was sports and cinema. I would watch three to four movies a week, even in those days. And what I have always loved about Bollywood is how it unites the country,” he says.
As the conversation drifts back to Bollywood, Patel expresses his fascination for yesteryear actress Meena Kumari. “There was no one like her before and there won’t be anyone after. She’s fantastic, flawed and amazing,” Patel says.