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In conversation with Shobhaa De

"I have an aggressively 'can do' spirit"

KAVITA CHARANJI
HAPPY to be here after a year's gap is Shobhaa De, the redoubtable editor, author of several best selling books and television serials, committed parent and newspaper columnist. To quote Shobhaa, 'I have a close affinity with Bangladesh because my husband Dilip is a Bangali and I speak the language. My mother-in-law was born in Jessore. Basically I have emotional and cultural links with this country and that is the best link.'
In town for the Aarong Bangladesh Fashion Week held on July 3 and July 4, Shobhaa is a recognised face in the city. Several people come up to speak to her in the hotel where we do the interview. In between seeing the fashion show in the evenings, she does the rounds of shops such as Aarong and Shine Pukur. ' The people of Bangladesh have an identity of their own and we share common concerns in the region, such as terrorism and globalisation. I hope we can increase the trade and commerce between the two countries.'
It is difficult to pigeonhole Shobhaa into a single slot because she is a woman of many talents. Her books, Socialite Evenings, Second Thoughts, Speedpost and Surviving Men have been both critically acclaimed and criticised. Among the sobriquets that have come her way: 'The Jackie Collins of Indian literature' and 'Smut Queen'. Shobhaa, however, remains unfazed. As she says,' I am beyond labels. I have learnt to take criticism in my stride.' Two new books, one a nonfiction work and the other a children's book (steeped in the Indian tradition and far removed from what she says are 'stories about magic in English culture') are in the pipeline while four books, Socialite Evenings, Starry Nights, Sultry Days and Sisters are prescribed reading in the comparative literature course in the university of London and colleges in Sydney and Chicago.
Especially dear to Shobhaa's heart is Speedpost, a series of letters to her six children (who range between 15 and 30 years). The idea struck her in the millennium a time when she wanted a work to mark a new century. 'I wanted to leave something permanent for my children,' says Shobhaa of the book which touches on issues such as family values and adolescent anxieties. Quite clearly, is not just her children who have loved the book; it has been translated into Hindi and Marathi, while
translations in Malayalam and Gujarati are to be launched soon. She also hopes to see a Bangla version in time.
The book has become so popular, that Shobhaa has played the counselor to many anxious mothers. How does she view this role? To quote her, ' I spend a lot of time counseling. There is no substitute for good communication and love. One needs responsibility and commitment; one can't just say that one is not up to parenting.' In fact she takes parenting so seriously, that she says that she would don the parental role again if she had to choose between her various interests.
To Shobha goes the credit of conceptualising and promoting what has come to be known as Hinglish. According to her, she introduced the new language rather lingo-- when she was editing Stardust, and broke new ground by introducing that unique blend of Hindi and English.' 'What you read in the newspapers today is a throwback to what I had done earlier in the Stardust days,' she says.
Shobhaa, the founder editor of Stardust, Society and Celebrity, is a prolific writer. Apart from her books, she has regular columns on political and social issues in The Times of India and for the special issues of international publications like Newsweek. Her milieu is urban India, which she believes straddles in some aspects the 16th century and in others the 21st century.' I want to capture this angst in my books and all my work,' says Shobhaa.
There's still more to come. She has conceptualised and written the screenplay of the soaps Kitty Party (now in its 500th episode on Zee TV) and Swabhiman on Doordarshan and later Star.
Writing, says Shobhaa comes as naturally to her as breathing. What does she feel about her contemporaries across the border in Bangladesh? She speaks highly of 'the gifted' Monica Ali's Brick Lane, shortlisted for the Booker's Prize. The book captures her early years in a small Bangladeshi village. She
also sheds some light on the Taslima Nasreen phenomenon not complimentary all the time. As she says, 'Taslima is a provocative but mediocre writer. She has positioned herself as an activist for women's rights and should not complain if her views have repercussions in the political establishments.'
Meanwhile, she is 'gung-ho' in her approach to life. 'I have an aggressively can do spirit,' she maintains. And she refuses labels. 'I think if one categorises oneself, one loses the creative edge.' She has a word for her audience'Everyone is capable of multi-tasking, finding what is essential for a fulfilling life and prioritising what is important.'