Exclusive Interview With Bestselling Author Ankit Uttam

Ankit Uttam, the bestselling author of ‘Beyond Love’ has come back with his latest book ‘Thirty Year old Virgin’. Ankit is hopeful that his third book will be loved and accepted by the book readers across India. Spectralhues got in touch with this young acclaimed author. In a candid interaction with Susmita Bose, Ankit talks about many unknown facets of his new venture.

Congratulations on the release of your latest book “Thirty Year Old Virgin”. What kind of response you are receiving?

Extreme. This one word sums up everything. 30% are saying that Indian writers only want to sell sex and this book is one more in that line. The next 30% are saying that this is brave writing, touching a subject which is considered as taboo and at the same time the marketing is in your face kind. I mean we are telling people from the beginning that this is a sex-comedy so they should know beforehand, what they are getting into by buying this book. Then there are 20% who don’t know what’s going on but they know something is surely going on. The last 20% are saying that they don’t read such books but my secret sources told me that they keep this book under their pillow, away from the prying eyes of their parents.

What motivates you to write this particular story?

I was reading these blogs on the net and some newspaper article about Indian authors playing it safe with college stories and broken heart stuff to display their mediocre writings to the readers. Every article summed up into one conclusion that Indian publishing scenario doesn’t display brave writing. People write such stuff clandestine in the form of love stories with spicy masala in the middle to titillate readers but there was no one who looked like trying to break the mould.

Those were the days when I was recovering from typhoid and watching lots and lots of movies along with reading a lot of stuff.  Then just to lighten my mood I wrote a few chapters. I gave it to my friends who literally killed with their bugging queries about what happened next.  Then I decided to expand it into a full-fledged book .

Now don’t think all the adventures in this book as my personal experiences. I have taken a lot of inspiration and imagination from movies like No Strings Attached, Friend with benefits, American pie series and numerous other romantic comedies of Hollywood but mostly from the first three movies.

Are you expecting the book will do as good as your first novel ‘Beyond Love’?

I don’t know. As a rule, once a book is finished and I hand it over to the publisher I don’t think much about it. I just move on with other things like reading books, watching movies, catching up with friends and sleeping a lot. So I don’t expect anything from any of my works.

 Have you got the inspiration from Hollywood romantic comedy movies like ‘friends with benefit’ etc. to write this particular story?

As I have already mentioned, The adventures in this book are not mine and are inspired from movies like Friend with benefit and No string attached along with American Pie series. 

How you hit upon the title of the book?

Title of any book is one thing that gives me nightmares. I usually finish the whole story and the title is one last thing that eludes me till the end. Interestingly initially I wanted to name this book as “Only for Adults” but then better sense prevailed and while searching on the net I came across this movie “Forty year old virgin” and then I thought thirty year is the age of both the main characters in the book and naming it like this will be a nice paradox. So that’s where my search for a title ended.

I have noticed that you have dedicate this book to ‘The Bacterium Salmonella Typhi’ 🙂. Any particular reason…

This bacteria (Cause of typhoid) pushed me to the edge of boredom so much so that I have to do something to get out of it and you can see the result.

How much Arnav is a real character known to you?

Arnav is not like any real character I know personally and in a way he is like every person I know or meet. His fears and aspirations are something we all have. He is a very authentic character just like Vimarsh in my last book “Emosional Atyachar”.

Maya’s character was very bold. Have you ever met a girl like Maya in real life? Or is it a pure fictional character?

Maya is very eccentric. She loves to create an unsettling feeling among people every time she meets them. I think we all have such eccentricities. It is only a matter of how much trained we are in hiding them that makes us as we are. Maya is like a monster we all have inside us but we are afraid to show it to the people known to us.

Have you started planning for your next book? What would be the subject?

Till now I have written a college love story, a motivational-romantic-comedy and a sex-comedy, in the same order. With my each book I am literally trying to break the mould and my fourth book will be no different. I have started writing it lets see how long it will take to get into shape.

How do you rate your publisher?

Brave and friendly. Publishing this book is in itself a sign of his courage and encouraging different kind of stories. Don’t you think so?

Tell us something about your journey from being an engineer to become an author?

Engineering helps me to earn my rent amount. Writing helps me to grow as a person, allow me to know myself deeply. I started writing to earn some extra bucks but in the process I discovered myself and doing it still.

Have you ever think of taking writing as a full time profession?

I don’t know, I don’t plan for such longer durations.

How do you manage to find time for writing from your busy schedule?

By not being busy. Frankly speaking if you want to do something you will find time for it. When I write I curtail my sleep a bit. Write in weekends or at night after office. Being a bachelor has its own benefits, you know. You can do whatever u want without thinking about your flat-mates.

What interests you other than writing?

Reading, movies, Sleeping, music and ideating.

What kind of books you like to read?

Thrillers, mystery and horror.

What kind of support you are getting?

My family supports in all my endeavors (I had specifically asked them not to read this book). My publisher allow me to think freely and write about things without worrying much about the market (This book is for vey niche audience so you can see that marketability of this book is at risk). My readers support me by reading my books and letting me know their views so that I can improve on those in my next work. My mentors help me by writing great books which I read and every time gets a better

What is the best tip that you can give to the aspiring authors?

Read a lot. Write a lot. But write differently. Write different. Market has changed a lot. Normal love stories are not selling any more. So you have to write different to make a mark in this industry.

Any message for Spectralhues readers…

Read and encourage good writers. If you like their work let them know and if you find their work unsatisfactory still let them know. If the writer is intelligent he will work on his writing and give you a better reading next time.

Thank you Ankit for your time, will meet again. Wish you all the best for your future works.

That was Ankit Uttam! Spectralhues is wishing him all the very best for his future endeavors and hopes he would come up with many more remarkable books.

• About the Author

About Sprightly Spirit

“I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares more is none”. And all, may be. It may be the vigor. Or the spirit. Or the courage to avoid being “politically correct” or bent. And, ban all averse with immaculate overture of graciously fathomable words firm in views. Subtle. Justifying the undying conscience. Values. Knowledge. And, dares to stay true. True to own. True to the world. And, to the words. With a dream in eyes it exists. In you. In me. In all. The sprite that never shies away. The spirit that never dies!