Charting author Trisha Das’s journey from mythology to romance

Author and documentary filmmaker Trisha Das begins her morning by sipping 360ml of decaf coffee in a thermos. She then turns on her desktop and plays games of solitaire repeatedly until she wins a round, which she says, can take one to three games. 

Then, she starts writing.

Das may have written books in different genres in the last eight years, but there's a certain commonality that one observes. Most titles, including her latest The Grand Samara are based in Delhi.

The romantic comedy is told through the eyes of the protagonist Samara Mansingh who ends up being a house guest with the Khanna family in Delhi, due to her father's frequent diplomatic postings. It is here that she meets the oldest son in the household, Sharav, who is rugged and handsome.  

“It is the story of a wayfaring wedding photographer who changes the lives of one struggling family and, in the process, falls in love and finds her forever home. There are funny moments, and heartwarming ones. It's a sweet romance with plenty of family drama and fun,” Das tells YS Life. 

With family from Delhi, and having lived and worked there as a young woman for a decade, Das confesses to having a special connection with the city. “The food, the markets, the nightclubs, the house parties. Winter garden lunches at the club, and sufi music nights at lit-up monuments…People who drape themselves in diamonds at OTT weddings but also bargain with the vegetable seller over a hundred rupees,” she adds. “I wanted to bring Delhi, the good and bad, alive as a character in the book.”

The book is a departure from her series of mythology-based novels including Ms Draupadi Kuru: After the Pandavas and its sequel, The Misters Kuru: A Return to Mahabharata, and Kama’s Last Sutra. 

Das has also written and directed over 40 documentaries in her filmmaking career. In a freewheeling chat with YS Life, Das discusses romance novels, her inspiration, and more. 

Edited excerpts from the interview: 

YourStory Life (YSL): How did you decide to move away from mythological novels to a rom-com?

Trisha Das (TD): The mythology novels were brewing inside me for a long time, probably since I was a teenager. I needed to get them out and say what I wanted to say. 

Once that was done, I went back to the drawing board and thought about the kind of books I loved and wanted to write. I knew there was a strong drive to write romance.  

After the pandemic, I was reading a lot more romance—probably as an escape from the stress we had all felt. I thought maybe my readers were also recovering from intense stress and would appreciate the light and laughter this book offered. 

YSL: Do you believe that rom-com novels continue to be branded as frivolous? 

TD: They still are, unfortunately. Romance is still looked down upon among readers who are used to non-fiction or high-brow books. It's sad really, because they're missing out on a fun experience by taking themselves so seriously. 

Rom-coms are not being offered a level playing field in India yet, but things have changed outside India. I had an award-winning, NY Times-bestselling editor, who also went to an Ivy League college, for this book in the US. Not only did she thoroughly enjoy reading it but it was also hugely successful in the US. I hope things evolve in India soon.

YSL: What are some romantic tropes that resonate with you?

TD: I enjoy writing enemies-to-lovers, because of the potential for great banter.  But I love reading friends-to-lovers, and second-chance romances. I'm writing a second-chance romance right now, in fact. 

I also love romances in interesting locations and cultures, where I can learn about places and people. I love travelling in both real life, and in books. 

YSL: Do you think it's a good idea to adapt your novel into a movie? What are some of the books-turned-films you enjoyed? 

TD: I am. I've enjoyed many adaptations. Every single Pride & Prejudice movie/series, Gone With The Wind and Outlander. The more recent ones I loved were Crazy Rich Asians, The Notebook, Lessons in Chemistry and, of course, Bridgerton. So many more but then I could go on all day. I'm looking forward to potentially seeing adaptations of my books on screen one day.

YSL: Who are the authors that inspire you?

TD: I love so many romance authors, starting with Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, whose classic novel The Grand Sophy inspired this book. I grew up reading them. 

Modern romance authors I love are Abby Jimenez, Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Christina Lauren, Sarah Adams, Jasmine Guillory and Emily Henry. South Asian romance authors are fabulous too—Sonali Dev, Sara Desai, Uzzma Jalalluddin, Sangu Mandanna, Lillie Vale... I could go on and on.

YSL: Attention spans have gone down. Do you think there's more pressure on you as an author to make your work more snappy and engaging?

TD: Attention spans, as a whole, have gone down and fewer people are reading books. However, I think it's important to respect the ones that are. My reader is an intelligent person who is choosing to spend time with my words rather than a billion YouTube videos for a reason. 

As an author, it is my duty to bring my best, most evocative and most authentic voice to the table. A voice that is uniquely mine and can't be replicated, not even by AI (at least not yet). So no, I don't think about such things. If the writing is good, the book will keep the reader engaged.

YSL: What's in the pipeline?

TD: More romance novels! I've got two more in the pipeline.