Idea of the Story was Simultaneous with the Idea of the Pandemic – Chetna Keer on Giddah On My Gulmohar

Giddah On My Gulmohar is about the protagonist, Lollita, who’s a fortyish writer, Netflix-a-hoic and Saree-a-holic single mom, chasing her small-town big dream of making it to the B-Lists. She is from a small town and comes from a middle-class background. Along with Lollita we have her agent, Lamba ji. The misadventures of the two, through the pre- and post-pandemic scenario, via literary landscape, forms the narrative. Part I of the interview focused on Chetna Keer’s charismatic persona, while this conversation with Keekli Intern Sangeeta Sambhi steers our readers towards her journey as a writer of three book – Veggies Go On A Beauty Parade; Trollitically Incorrect and Giddah On My Gulmohar – and her literary journey.

Keekli Intern: As a raconteur your expertise lies in which genre?

Chetna Keer: Firstly, I believe that we narrow down a writer’s creative oeuvre when we try to fit them into one genre of working. As a writer, I do not like to limit my domain of work. Rather, I try to expand my field of interest in order to be able to attain diversity. But yes, I would agree that when we get published, we get classified as being related to a particular genre. Pointing out at the genres used in my latest book, Giddah On My Gulmohar, a mixture of genres has been used. My book has a humorous phase, some parts are related to rom-com satire and has human interest satire. Not only this, but series of loss and re-inventing is also followed in the book. It broadly belongs to the category of general fiction. But if one wants to put it into one genre, I would say it belongs to the human and satire genre.

Keekli: What inspired you to write this book?

Keer: This is a question that writers ask themselves as much as readers would want to. I also ask myself that what was the time when I had started writing this book in my head. When did the idea crystalise and how the book came into place? The timing was such, that I was motivated to explore the literary landscape. I started writing when the pandemic happened. The entire scenario gave a sharp edge to my story as I had a diverse canvas to write upon. That is how my book got segregated into three timelines. I started writing before the lock down period initiated. Then as time passed by, I wanted to know how the literary sector was impacted by the implication of lockdown 1.0, and that is how I got my second timeline. And then when the lockdown was suspended, I shifted to the third timeline of the book. The idea of the story was simultaneous with the idea of the pandemic, and so was the idea of the Gulmohar, depicted in my book; symbolic of change of seasons. It showcased how the phases of the pandemic and mood of people changed when compared to the changing of seasons.

Keekli: What is the nutshell of the book?

Keer: Just to give the feel of the book, I would like to the state that the book has main and sub narratives. Main narrative is about the protagonist, Lollita, who’s a fortyish writer, Netflix-a-hoic and Saree-a-holic single mom, chasing her small-town big dream of making it to the B-Lists. She is from a small town and comes from a middle-class background. Along with Lollita we have her agent, Lamba ji. The misadventures of the two, through the pre- and post-pandemic scenario, via literary landscape, proves to be its main narrative.

The sub narrative holds the fact that book is a rom-com. While she is chasing her literary dream, she is chased by younger artist. How she balances her life and longs for romance, is also part of the journey.

Sub-narrative of the series during the pandemic for people like you and me, is also showcased in the book. Her neighbours Gupta ji and Ganguli ji, their struggles of trying to recover from how the pandemic hit them, and how their dreams are harshly hit by the loss in general economy, is also a quirky text to read. I would say, the book is about the state of the pandemics people. How they are hit by loss of life and property, and how, thereafter, life reboots itself and it culminates into new beginnings.

Keekli: What is the significance of your book title, as that’s what captures the reader’s attention. Does it come from a place of personal space?

Keer: It has totally been drawn from a personal space. Gulmohar in my book at a deeper level, refers to the changing moods of the pandemic. During the lockdown, I had to do my writing in four walls, it became claustrophobic. The means of escape, an element that added life to my dull days at work was this beautiful Gulmohar tree outside my pandemic window. It was simply symbolic of hope and colourfulness. Gulmohar as a metaphor painted the dull canvas of daily monotonous chores, the pandemic had to offer.

When speaking of comparing Giddah with Gulmohar, we as Punjabis, as a means to express our happiness, or as a sign of erupting into little bubbles of joy, we perform Giddah (Folk dance practiced in Punjab.  That is how Giddah is a metaphor of celebrating life and valuing the positives of the pandemic situation.

Keekli: Lollita, who happens to be the protagonist of the story, happens to be a single mom in her forties, who has multiple channels of pleasure, few of them entailing; being a saree-a-holic, Netflix-a-holic, and a dreamer to hit all the big B-lists. Does this pseudonym have any existential relevance?

Keer: Lollita, interestingly has a significance, which is let at the readers disposal to be explored. Lollita is not her real name, it is a moniker that she has earned.

Keekli: This story has a retrograde touch of the pandemic, yet, how did the idea of infusing it with minor daily chores of a forty-year-old as a witty decoration come to your mind?

Keer: All of us might be professionals, working at the most reputed designations. But during the lockdown, all of us kind of levelled to working from home. I wanted to convey this ideal, by showcasing the leveller of Lollita working as a writer on one side and trying to cope up with the daily chores, on the other. The main goal was to showcase the protagonist as being real and humane. For her to be a confluence of the whole pandemic scenario overlapping her work life. Grappling with household chores while working, is as normal for her, as it would be for any of us. Hence, taking inspiration from people around me has helped me pivot with realism throughout the journey.

Keekli: What was your aim while writing this book?

Keer: When a writer starts writing a book, it varies at all the levels. At one point of time, I had this story that I wanted to tell to the world. The interesting part is that when I wanted to tell one story, so many minute stories started enriching the main source. My main aim was to be able to write a pandemic portrait, without it being weighed down with the darkness of pandemic.

Keekli: How would you like your audience to perceive the book’s central theme?

Keer: Characters in the book were inspired from real life people. It has got you, me and the audience in some or the other way. As I mentioned before, the narrative and sub-narrative, indicate that one does not have to be an A-lister to be able to relate to the protagonist, Lollita. Lollita can be found in simple elements of a student, teacher, etc. You need to change your speed while encountering a speed breaker on the way. Life is all about chasing your existing dreams while finding new dreams for yourself, with even-kneeled determination.

Keekli: Do you think creative writing is such a skill which comes handy, sooner or later, be it in any field?

Keer: Yes! Creative writing gifts you with the ability of speculating. It helps a person to navigate through and speculate the diverse conditions life has to offer, be it in the field of law, management. I do not think that there is a field today that runs without the requirement of writing minimum amount of text, be it in the form of small blogs, web portal descriptions, caption for social media handle. Prospects of improved creativity is the only goal behind learning creative writing.

Keekli: The forty-five chaptered book, is undoubtedly eye-catching and highly engaging. Do you consider it as a consequence of being a content writer for long or storytelling is a skill you are naturally talented at?

Keer: Forty-five chapters sound like a big deal. When I start writing stories, I never restrict myself with the word count parameters, I just go with the flow. When you write for a publication, you are always taught to restrict to a limited number of words, your canvas of creativity is reduced. But as a storyteller, while giving shape to the story, the words start flowing, naturally. To quote, I would say, that when you go with the flow, the flow goes with you. Therefore, it is a two-way process.

Keekli: The uninfluenced stark vision of an author has its own ways of influencing the audience; what is the revolution you are trying to bring through your penned words?

Keer: Frankly speaking, I don’t think of myself as someone who is in the space of bringing about a revolution. I am more than grateful if, either the stories of my journey, or the characters I write about, hold the capacity of inspiring fewer people, be it even one. The most rewarding thing is to touch the emotional cords of my audience.

Keekli: What is your advice for young and aspirational women, who wish to be in the field of literature, during the contemporary times?

Keer: It is not at all an easy space to be in, if monetary advantage is all a person is looking for. It is a presumption that authors get lumpsum amount for their work and dedication, instead they only get a fraction of the pyramid of authorhood. However, there are authors who sign illustrious contracts, but that happens at a farther stage.

One should be involved into writing, if one has the urge of expressing themselves through words. If one has the aim of narrating stories, and not be much concerned about the perks that follow, then yes, authorhood welcomes you warmly.

Keekli: Any message to your audience?

Keer: For my audience to smile when they finish reading the book, is the only reward I would want to achieve. Their emotional chord to be activated and their ability to relate with the characters, would be the next best thing I would want. For the reader to be able to express to the author that the book probably struck their emotional chord, is the only propagation a writer would be wishing to be fulfilled.

Keekli: Would you like to share the ideas and plot you shared in your other book; one that was especially targetted towards children?

Keer: It was my first book, named as Veggies Go On A Beauty Parade. As far as I can remember, I was working as a full-time journalist at that time. My book was based on this common observation of children not eating healthy green vegetables easily. It was written to attract children and youngsters towards the goodies the green vegetables hold, there was nothing better than using food analogy. They were now able to see vegetables as humans with good qualities rather than something that is not worth having.