Pika Nani 's Shrilok Homeless is Back

Shrilok Homeless is back with a new set of mysteries. Created by Pika Nani aka Deepika Murthy, the Mumbai chaiwallah  leaves for London to solve a new challenge in Shrilok Homeless The Ultimate Adventures( Penguin Random House India).  Ten short stories keep you glued  this weekend.
Pika Nani shares a slice of her writing life here.

 1. How much of your life have  you spent in Mumbai? You have covered  so many parts
of Mumbai in your book.
I grew up in Mumbai and have spent the first 25 years of my life there. I have tried to
bring in my experiences and observations of the city and its people and culture. The
plan was to have cases across the length and breadth of Mumbai in the first book,
and then in the second book, to extend to other parts of India and even abroad.

2. What has contributed to Shrilok's cool demeanour inspite of his homelessness?
Shrilok may be an orphan and a chaiwala, but he has a rare gift of observation and
deduction that sets him apart. He uses that gift to help people and that is what
makes him cool. Also he has been solving cases since he was ten years old, so he
has developed the ability to remain calm and collected even in adverse situations.

3. How much of research went into writing the two books ? What was the primary
source of ideas for these stories? How many of these stories are based on
newspaper reports ?





The research began with reading all of Sherlock Holmes stories once again, in detail,
as I was looking to re-imagine the characters in an Indian context.
I wanted the cases and the way they are solved to be unique, so I did not go by
actual reported crimes. But I took the themes of the modern day crimes like ATM
thefts, exam paper scams, terror attacks and worked them into the stories.
Later all the facts had to be cross checked. I can recount one incident when I was
googling for types of guns – revolvers, pistols etc, suddenly all these ads selling
guns began popping up on screen. I was spooked! All the things an author has to do
for research!

4. Your writing flows effortlessly. What has helped you strengthen/develop writing
skills?
Thank you! I visualise the scenes in my mind and write it as I see it, maybe that is
why it seems effortless. Shrilok Homeless The Ultimate Adventures Volume 2 is my
third book, and I am still building my writing skills. I think it’s a continuous process.

5. How has your non-de-plume helped or hinder your progress as a writer?
It helps me to write. For someone who works from home, there can be a million
distractions, but when I am Pika Nani, everything else fades away. Also the name is
a reminder that this is my childhood dream and it motivates me to keep writing. The
reaction of children has been amazing….they are very curious to know what it
means.

6. Are you a full-time writer? 
I began as a full-time mom and part-time writer. Now that my daughter is in middle
school, I can say I am a full-time writer. I also conduct workshops and events at
schools and libraries.

7. Do you plot your stories before you write?

Yes, I have a basic outline in place. I think it’s especially needed in mystery stories
as the plots tend to be complex.

8. What other genres would you like to explore in the near future?

The Shrilok Homeless books have been very different from my first book, Little
Indians - stories from across the country. I would like to continue to explore different
genres and maybe even mix genres like I did with fact plus fiction in Little Indians.

9. Did you read a lot of mystery genre while you were growing up?
Oh yes! My fascination with mystery began with Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels in
high school. I have read most of her books. I discovered Sherlock Holmes much later
and became a fan of his deductive methods.

10. Are you a disciplined writer? Do you write everyday?
When I am writing a book, I follow a schedule from Monday to Friday, writing from
morning till afternoon. The final months before a book is published are very hectic
and I am working most of the time. So finally once the book is released I take a
break from writing….till the next idea strikes and it all begins again!

To buy a copy of Shrilok Homeless The Ultimate Adventures Volume2, click here,
(PS:  I am an  affiliate of Amazon. When you buy the book through the above hyperlink, I will receive a small percentage of sales which helps me run Kahani Takbak, a platform to promote Indian books, authors and illustrators.)