@SrishtiPub
Creating Bestsellers! Welcome to the official Swellcast of Srishti Publishers. To know more visit our website - www.srishtipublishers.com
'With flickering attention spans, a meaty thriller can captivate a reader's interest..' - Author Niti Kewalramani on her novel 'Ties of Blood'.
She co founded MRI Worldwide, one of the largest executive search organizations with over 1200 offices worldwide. And her debut fictional thriller Ties of Blood from Srishti Publishers was recently launched and has been very well received. It's a pleasure to have Niti join me in this conversation around her book and her inspiring body of work. Hi Niti.. Thank you so much for joining in
So Niti, the premise of your book is super interesting. Three powerful business families tangled in a tussle of love, hate, honor and justice with a whole host of complex characters. How did you manage to flesh out these characters in a way that the reader is engaged yet not overwhelmed? Coming up with very relatable, true to life thriller
Niti Kewalramani
@Niti.K · 1:57
It was important for me to ensure that they had distinct personalities not only MJ and Surya, but the others as well and that their voices and actions held up not only in a fictional universe but also in the real world. These characters were all actually stories in and within themselves. So they were telling me what they should be doing. These characters were not caricature cardboard cutouts. Also, Mumbai and chocolate are essential characters in the book. I'm paying homage to both my home city and my soul food
Niti Kewalramani
@Niti.K · 1:50
You. I've been asked that question before and I usually joke that there was a murder inside me and it better come out on paper than elsewhere. But jokes apart, I personally love thrillers. I grew up reading the OG thriller Queen Agatha Christie before I transitioned over to other genres. I believe that thrillers are a great launch pad into the world of books. Also nowadays with flickering attention spans, a meaty thriller has the ability to captivate a reader's interest
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Crime thrillers being high on the entertainment factor are generally seen as quick reads or filler reads by many. But Ties of Blood goes well beyond being your regular whodunit and Sparks introspection on the changing role of men, women, families and the marriages in modern India. How did you manage to infuse social critique into your narrative while keeping it rooted in the genre?
Niti Kewalramani
@Niti.K · 1:51
I think it worked well to have content and matter that was meritorious in itself, and then to add a coat of thriller on top of that as that allowed the story to breathe and have its own persona without making it too gimmicky or formulaic
I think this brings me to my last question. In addition to being an author, you're also an associate producer, a teacher, an entrepreneur and a counselor. How do you manage to juggle between so many roles with such ease? Do also tell us a little bit about the incredible work you've been doing over the years, offering guidance and application support to students, exploring higher education options abroad
Niti Kewalramani
@Niti.K · 1:28
Whenever I found some time, which I found in abundance during COVID I would moonlight as a writer and return to the manuscript. It became my happy place. It is also important to mention that apart from writing and counseling, I do very little. I'm very mindful of where and how I expend my time. So in reality, it is not juggling many roles. Whether I'm doing incredible work or not, I don't know. But I definitely love working with my students