Interview with Rajeev Ranjan

Rajeev Ranjan, who has been serving as an Indian Coast Guard Officer for the last 15 years one fine morning began scribbling his thoughts and ideas in a secret little notebook that lay by his bedside. Slowly he started finding this activity de stressing and he continued to write. After a gap of some days when he opened the book, to his surprise he felt that the book had some potential. After his brother seconded his opinion, Rajeev developed his work and thus was born A Splash Of Love, A Kiss of Infatuation, a wonderful tale of love, aspirations, heartbreak and friendship.



Rajeev Ranjan speaks with BookChums and talks about how his life changed after his book came about and how different is the protagonist from him.



Please share a bit about your background with us- a bit about your professional and personal life.
I am a serving Indian Coast Guard officer and “We Protect” is the motto we live by. My work along with being a profession for last 15 years is also a way of life to me. It has taught me many things and I am proud to be a part of it. I completed my graduation in Physics from university of Delhi in 1996. After that I enrolled myself for PG course in Physics from University of Delhi. The story is loosely based on those days and experiences.



What inspired to write this novel?
I really don’t know. I always thought it’s something big to write a book and certainly that is not something I can achieve. After reading some of the novels particularly the ones written by Chetan Bhagat I got a feeling that it’s not that tough. Things can be expressed in simple words as well. One needs not to use big jargons to explain things which can be done using simple language. I started scribbling my thoughts on a notebook. After few days when I read the notebook I found the writings interesting and good. That prompted me to write further and I continued. I still did not have enough confidence. One day my brother Kunal happened to read my thoughts and convinced me to get it published. So I owe a bit of this to writers like Chetan Bhagat who sort of revolutionized novel writing in India, a bit to my brother and a bit to my own belief that something like this could be done. I personally believe that everyone has a novel inside. What they need is that slight push.



How would you summarize your first book- A Splash Of Love, A Kiss of Infatuation?
I think the novel A Splash Of Love has many emotions. It has many shades - falling in love, getting infatuated, getting irritated when things go wrong, the aspirations of a mother, sacrifices in relationships, deceit, friendship, dreams and dreams coming true and much more. The story line is something that everyone can connect with and that I believe that this is the beauty of the book.



How much time did you take to complete the book?
From the time I started scribbling thoughts on a notebook to the time I saw it in hard cover it took me a little over a year.



How easy or difficult was it balancing your duty as a Coast Guard and writing?
It was not very difficult to balance the two. For me writing is something that de-stresses. I don’t have any fixed schedule for writing. I do it when I find time. It has never interfered with my work in any way. The converse, however, is true. Being part of a beautiful organization like Indian Coast Guard has definitely helped me in writing. The kind of life it offers one tends to get a lot of positive vibes which I believe is a must for something creative like writing.



Is Arunoday a reflection of Rajeev, in any way?
In a way yes. I think Arunoday is reflection of many middle class youth of this country who aspire to achieve big in this competitive world. The kind of predicaments Arunoday experiences is probably felt by many youngsters. The pressure of inching unemployment, the fear of failure, the desire to be loved, getting infatuated at first sight, desire to be a hero, to be someone who can bring about change and many other issues are discussed in the book in a way that many youngsters can identify with.



Has life changed in anyway after having authored a book?
Not much I think.  Only that I have become a bit more curious to know the reviews, to see how it has fared, maybe a bit scared also for any negative comments that may come my way. But overall it feels good when you are praised for your creativity.



Name a book/author that has inspired you the most.
Five Point Someone and The Kite Runner.



Name a book that you can read over and over again.
I know I will be sounding a bit partial but I will still vote for A Splash Of Love, A Kiss Of Infatuation.