Love on the Rocks -A promising debut by Ismita Tandon Dhankher.
by Manjulika Pramod
Thriller authors have been a small tribe in India but one that we wish to see flourish. The latest author to join the group is Ismita Tandon Dhankher. I met her at The Spring Festival organised by Penguin India. Her book intrigued me – there’s lot in it ship, high seas, murder, suspense and the buried truth- I got curious and decided to ask the author some questions.
FoB – How would you describe Love On the Rocks in one sentence?
Ismita- I think it’s a book that explores the darker side of us. That’s one side, each one
of us have within we can’t part away with. But most of us seldom put it upfront. In fact, earlier I preferred calling my book as ‘Almost Lucid’.
FoB- What made you write this book?
Ismita- The real deal happened when I was just married to a Merchant Navy guy; took
a break from work and joined him on sea. But suddenly there was a realization of self
worth. A lesser known poetess as I call myself craved to pen down her own creations
and imaginations. Calm soothing environment made me do something really interesting
and the blue sea just helped to bring out the best.
FoB – Why a thriller?
Ismita- I have always believed life is a thrill. There are twists and turns happening every
now and then. I love it all. In addition, I have grown up reading thriller books. My all time
favorite writer is James Hadley Chase.
FoB- In the book a young, newly married woman is on the ship,Sancha, the only one among 24 men and a murder mystery in the backdrop of the story. Does it relate to any of your experiences on board?
Ismita- Yes, to a great extent, it shares my experiences. I have been on three ships with no female companion. My husband is a Chief Officer and I have been with him on board. Some of the conversations in the book are absolutely real. There are people, who would like you, dislike you, can’t avoid noticing you and you learn taking it all…but, there’s wasn’t been any cold blooded murder.
FoB- Amongst all the people on ship, The Character ‘Manna’ is very intriguing and hisjournal entries are scary? How did you etch out him? Did it require any research?
Ismita- I love talking to people. I mingle with people quite easily and that helped to
create Manna. I did come across people who had interesting childhoods. I picked up several traits of them. There were some really smart, educated people with serious issues in their childhood. The way one is brought up it shapes the way the child behaves later in life, including myself.
FoB- What to you is the most “different” about the book? What else do you want your readers to know?
Ismita- The USP of the book is the distinct characters and voices that carry the story.
Everyone is a hero in their life and I have tried to portray it that way. The personal
emotional crisis that each one goes through carries forth in my story.
FoB- Whats next after ‘Love on the rocks’?
Ismita- I have already started with Drink and Die. Its also a thriller. Johnny Will, is a
man with a High IQ, who runs a rehab in a small town near Wellington called Monele,
ostensibly helping the rich and not so sober get over their little alcohol addiction. He has
no qualms about blackmailing his wealthy patients. When his business associate cum
Fiancée Mira dies of a morphine overdose things began to heat up. As ghosts from the
past come to the fore and the shadow of his father’s death, his Aunt hatred of him and
his half brothers treachery begin to haunt him.
To rent Love on the Rocks, click here.
