Page 45 - English Tehelka Issue 12 - June 30, 2018

q&A interview

YAShodhArA LAL ShArmA the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Manage- few years ago because my daughter cinating, but hard to pick up once you
fitness instructor and author of multiple best-selling humorous books ment last year to deliver this talk. It was a was learning and I just decided to pick put it down! And I have got ‘Irresistible’,
All in a Day’s Work: Tête-à-tête engaged students and the video turned out was there anyway. I haven’t made that on my own digital detox soon. It talks
it up at the same school as her since I
lovely campus, the room was full of highly
which is hopefully going to help me go
about screens as addictions — some-
to be pretty great too. I worked hard to pre-
much progress, but I recently managed
my first ever piece called ‘Silver Inches’
thing I know I have. Another book is
pare this talk even though I was short on
‘The Antidote’, which is kind of like an
and am inordinately proud of it! I think
time, and it helped me to get clarity on a lot
with Yashodhara Lal Sharma of things myself. However, to be completely music is the perfect example for me, of anti-self-help-book, and yet most help-
pursuing something enjoyable without
honest, there are days when I am struggling
ful; along with ‘The Subtle Art of Not
with overload at work and I look at that video
an end goal in mind. That’s really im-
Giving a F*ck’, another interesting one.
and think ‘Wow, what a fake...she really
portant, and besides, it helps me relax!
looks like she has it all together. Only I know
next book going to be about?
the truth about how messed up she feels What are some of the books, After your sixth book, what’s your
right now!’ authors you have been reading My second kid’s book, based on my
lately? daughter, ‘Peanut Vs. The Piano’, will be
A corporAte professional, mother of three, fitness instructor and author of multiple I just grew up reading books like these — Apart from this, you have also been I’m much bigger on non-fiction than I published by Duckbill later this year.
best-selling humorous books, Yashodhara Lal Sharma is a powerhouse! neha kirpal spoke to the gentle humour of James Herriot, the learning the piano and the guitar. Tell us am on fiction these days. I am trying to Further, my next novel, tentatively ti-
Yashodhara about her latest book ‘How I Became a Farmer’s Wife’, her recent TedX talk and wry observations of Gerald Durrell and more about your family’s relationship get through ‘Sapiens’, which I find fas- tled ‘The Last Summer Being Gudia’
plans for her next book. more recently, the hilarious Bill Bryson. So, with music. will be published by HarperCollins in
I think I am naturally attuned to writing Not many people know this, but I am the 2019. It’s a childhood memoir of sorts,
edited excerpts from an interview • humorous books based on real-life events. granddaughter of a very accomplished si- but basically, a coming-of-age story
I’ve also tried my hand at fiction, but even tarist Jitendra Pratap Singh, who was also a set in the early 90s in Delhi about an
there, there’s quite a bit of inspiration from longstanding contributor to writing about awkward middle-class middle-kid try-
‘How I Became a Farmer’s Wife’ is a girl, although, I actually grew to love the life. I have reconciled to the fact that this is music as a critic. My grandmother too was ing to find her own space in the world.
book about rearing chickens, dairy and interludes on the farm. That break from the only way I can write. naturally musical, so it runs on my mother’s It’s very close to my heart, and I hope a
poultry farming. Having a corporate the chaotic craziness that our lives have side of the family. I learnt guitar from the wide variety of people — adults as well
job in a metropolitan city, how did you become is quite a welcome one. You’ve probably been asked this a time I was fifteen, but never was very good as children — pick it up, enjoy it and re-
get this idea for the book? How closely hundred times already. Anyway, for the at it — I still am not. But I’m taking classes late to it.
is it based on your own true story? You began your writing journey as a hundred-and-first time, as a full-time once a week and trying to stay connected to
So, ‘How I Became a Farmer’s Wife’ isn’t blogger. How did the transition from mom of three, marketing professional the instrument. The piano playing started a letters@tehelka.com
really about rearing chickens, but yes, blogger to author happen? and Zumba instructor, just how do
there is dairy farming in it. I got the in - I had been blogging since 2007, and I never you balance all of these roles so
spiration for the book by living through really thought I would end up writing so seamlessly?
the experience when my crazy husband many books at the time. I had wanted to, Hahahaha, you got that one right! But it’s
decided to follow his passion and actu- of course, but it had been a hidden, secret ok, because the question is the same and
ally try his hand at dairy farming on land desire. That changed in 2010 when I had a I think my answer keeps changing. So,
near Gurgaon! He surprised us all by rent- complicated second pregnancy and real- one thing is that each of these roles takes
ing the land, buying seven cows and seven ised that life is really short, so may as well away energy, but they also add that back.
calves and starting up operations — the fill it up with what you really want to do. So, The other is that I have given up aiming for
rest is history — well, in the book, anyway! I sat and wrote my first book, ‘Just Married, perfectionism. I don’t aim to get to the top
Please Excuse’ and HarperCollins picked of any of these fields; I am just really happy
Do you ever secretly imagine or wish to it up. Ever since, I have published many to have these things in my life and to be
live the life of a farmer’s wife? more with them as well as with Duckbill able to continue to do so many of them
I am already living that life because my for a couple of children’s books too. even after I came back off a sabbatical to
husband seems to have decided that farm- Blogging still means a lot to me, al - the world of full-time work. Oh, and the
ing is going to be a part of our lives in some though no one really seems to read blogs sabbatical was amazing in terms of get-
shape or the other — no spoilers, of course, these days.. I don’t get much time for it, but ting myself trained to be a Zumba instruc-
so I don’t want to say too much about it. I still somehow maintain it and hope to tor, doing a lot of writing and so on. I don’t
We are not actually living on a farm, of continue to do so. think my life would be the same today if I
course, but it was quite a rollercoaster ride hadn’t taken that pause.
going through the dairy farm experiment How difficult is it to write humorous
— the exposure to an entirely different life books? Tell our readers a little about your
and set of challenges. But to answer your It’s the only type I think I can write, so not recent TedX talk on exploring one’s
question — no, I never either imagined or difficult. Probably would be difficult to multidimensional self for a fuller life.
wished to live that life! I am quite the city write something without humour! I think It was a lovely experience. I got a call from

Tehelka / 30 june 2018 44 www.Tehelka.com

44-45 Q&A Neha Kirpal.indd 2 16/06/18 12:23 PM 44-45 Q&A Neha Kirpal.indd 3 16/06/18 12:23 PM