Oindrila Ghosal

What was your favorite book as a child?

The most vivid memories of my childhood are the sleuth books penned by Satyajit Ray, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dame Agatha Christie. Apart from the racy worlds that these books built, Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake struck a chord with me in my growing years. While the dramatic plots of Shakespeare were an inseparable aspect as well, the reminiscences of The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy still haunt me.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

In India, almost every child grows up cradled in the culture of storytelling. And I was no different. My earliest memory goes back to listening to stories at bedtime. What I didn’t know then was that it was the seed to creative outpourings. Enamoured by the stories I read, my hyperactive imagination began weaving stories. Maybe they were an escape from the outside world, from everything that comes as a part of growing up.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

A few years back I was fortunate enough to be a part of the small selected team for an in-person interaction session with Dr. John Jumper of AlphaFold fame at Taj Hotel, Mumbai. Not only was the session invigorating and dream-come-true, but I was absolutely flabbergasted. It still gives me goosebumps whenever I reel through the snippets from that day — especially how high dreams can soar a person.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I find listening to music distracting while reading. Until I can perfectly listen and picture the words being read, my brain appears to be a reflective surface. Writing, though, is a different ball game. While planning the scenes, classical music — both Indian and Western — helps me set the mood. Sometimes while writing, I prefer the music wafting all around as well.