If you’ve enjoyed the loves and lives of Anjini, Binodini, Chandrakanta, Debjani and Eshwari, there’s more in store! Anuja Chauhan is ready with The House That BJ Built, which picks up the story from where The Pricey Thakur Girls left off. Published by Westland Books, The House That BJ Built comes out on May 25. 

When did you decide the Thakurs needed more than one book?
In 2010 I had begun writing a book called The House that BJ Built. It was intended as a big saga about an old man and his daughters, how they would go on to have their own children and there would be a family property dispute. But when I’d written 400-500 pages and was nowhere close to the end, I thought maybe I should write two books. Writing a big book would be foolish. Price points would go up, and people wouldn’t want to read that fat a book. 

Does the story continue after this? 
I am sort of done with the Thakurs. 

This story is about Binodini’s daughter Bonu. Has she grown up to become a formidable force like her mother? And is she more compassionate about Samar’s hissa (share)?
Bonu loves her parents. Her deal is that her mother got a bad deal and no one was nice to her. She is also concerned about her father because she feels he was a failure because no one was supportive of his business ideas. Also, she’s not very fond of her aunts. 

Since Bonu and Samar seem to be the two protagonists, do we see a romance between them? 
Yes, yes, absolutely! Romance is what keeps me going (laughs). 

But aren’t they step-brother and step-sister?
They’re not related, which is something Bonu says right through this book. Even in The Pricey Thakur Girls, she keeps harping that they’re not related by blood so he is no cousin of hers.  
You’ve always written strong-minded female characters but is Bonu your first negative character? 
I don’t know about her being a negative person but yeah, she is a grey character. Of all the girls I have written about, Bonu is the greyest... except, of course, Pushpa Pandey (Battle for Bittora).

Your books are often called ‘chick lit’. Are you okay with that term? 
Not at all! In fact I wouldn’t want my books to be categorised into any box... I don’t believe in the concept of genres. I resent it. Nowadays the best books always cross genres. Every book is a journey within itself. You pick it up and you read it without any preconceived notions and if you like it you keep going. I’d rather just have a good book or a bad book. 

Your stories always have sexual tension, yet you don’t actually write about sex. Is it because you think we are shudh desi Indians?
I think I am a shudh desi Indian, not my reader. I think that chemistry and sexual tension is about what you are thinking and feeling and saying about each other rather than what physical things you are doing with each other’s bodies. 

Those Pricey Thakur Girls is being shown on TV as Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls. Have you watched the show? 
Yes I’ve seen it (on &TV) and personally I’m not very happy with it. I don’t like the way they have portrayed Dylan Singh Shekhawat. I think he is very fair (in the book Dylan was dark) and very slimy and I don’t understand why they’re doing that. 

I like the mother, the other sisters, and even Daboo. And I know that it’s for a different audience from the ones who would read a novel in English, so some tweaks have to be made. 

What is really disturbing me is the girl-boy equation in the show, which is getting on my nerves. Dylan’s really pushing Debjani around and I don’t think that is correct because that is not the kind of male-female relationship I have ever portrayed in any of my books. He’s treating her very badly. Having said that, I have given away the rights for three years so there’s not much that I can do. 

SNAPCHAT

Favourite IPL team?
I’m not really following it but my favourite team would be Rajasthan Royals, seeing as I was born into a Rajput family. I love how there’s so much young talent in RR and how they’ve been on top of the pool right now — so wait, I guess I am following it a bit (laughs)! Also definitely Dhoni’s team (Chennai Super Kings).
So are you crushing on Dhoni then? 
I’m too old to crush on anyone, ya! He’s so cool, he plays for the team and is a great finisher and doesn’t get affected by all this glamour.
You’re a stylish lady, where do you shop mostly? 
I shop online sometimes. I buy a lot of stuff for the house online since I recently bought a house. About fashion, I am not really into high-end stuff. I used to wear a lot of Ritu Kumar before, now it’s more of Anokhi. Sometimes I nick things off my daughter and also wear a lot of my son’s T-shirts (laughs).  
One make-up item you can’t do without? 
Red lipstick.
The Anuja Chauhan man in three words? 
Wohi na… Debjani wala — honest and kind and brave.
One dating tip?
Make eye contact! 

 

Riddhima Khanna
Are you looking forward to more from the Thakurs? Tell t2@abp.in