PVPF 2024

Interview with Dr Kisholoy Roy, Author of Sounak's Love Stories

I as an author have to keep in mind my readers and how to keep them engaged till the end of the book. Hence various plots needed to be conceived and so was the need to conceive some characters and their mannerism that lent more zing to the narrative.
on Jul 11, 2023

Dr Kisholoy Roy is a PhD from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad apart from being an Accredited Management Teacher certified by AIMA, New Delhi. Dr Roy has published over 200 academic publications till date that include case studies, articles and research papers. He has authored several books on case writing and case teaching that have been bestsellers on various online platforms. Dr Roy has also authored books in certain niche areas of brand communication and celebrity endorsements apart from books on retail and marketing. Apart from his academic pursuits as an author, Dr Roy has authored books on fiction, non-fiction and poetry that have been well accepted and loved by many.

Frontlist: In "Sounak's Love Stories," you explore the love life of an ordinary person with a below-average job. What inspired you to choose such a protagonist and depict his romantic endeavors?

Dr Kisholoy: I have always been interested in telling stories about people whom I keep meeting or I met at some point of time. That offers me a vantage as a storyteller as what I am going to relate is well embedded in my mind. Sounak’s character is based on such a person whom I met several times and who would keep telling me about his romantic endeavors always with high dose of optimism and never ever showed much regrets about his previous attempts that failed.

Frontlist: The book is described as a simple and uncomplicated read that offers a breeze of positivity. Could you elaborate on the themes or messages you aimed to convey to readers through Sounak's journey?

Dr Kisholoy: I aimed at making my readers understand that love stories are not always rosy. They are not always larger than life. They are not always the way that will make a person aspire to experience such a love story himself or herself.. You often do not end up getting what you want in life. There are circumstantial factors that you cannot control and so you have to wait or you have to settle for the less aspired. But then along with realism, Sounak’s Love Stories comes with a supreme dose of optimism. One needs to remain an optimist if one wishes to avoid depression and keep pace with life.

Frontlist: In your opinion, what sets "Sounak's Love Stories" apart from other books in the romance genre?

Dr Kisholoy: As I mentioned, Sounak’s Love Stories is certainly not something that offers a larger than life canvas or something that men and women will love to experience and dream about. It is a hardcore realistic plot with a liberal dose of optimism and of course humor. This book can well be considered a novella or even a collection of related short stories. Stories that are related to the protagonist and how his life advances along with each romantic overture. This format of authoring a book is definitely one big factor that sets this book apart along with of course what I have mentioned earlier.

Frontlist: As the author, what challenges did you encounter while writing "Sounak's Love Stories," and how did you overcome them to shape the final narrative?

Dr Kisholoy: Although the character was based on someone I have met several times but then the challenge for me was to decide what to keep and what not to in my narrative. Not everything about the said person and his romantic endeavors qualified to be mentioned in narrative. At the end of the day, I as an author have to keep in mind my readers and how to keep them engaged till the end of the book. Hence various plots needed to be conceived and so was the need to conceive some characters and their mannerism that lent more zing to the narrative. A wise balancing of observation and imagination you can say enabled me to shape the final narrative.

Frontlist: In the book, Sounak is portrayed as someone who refuses to accept defeat and remains hopeful in his search for love. Can you discuss the importance of perseverance and optimism in pursuing personal happiness?

Dr Kisholoy: Perseverance and optimism is required in each and every aspect of life. Not just personal happiness but also in career, family and social life. I believe these two can work wonders and keep someone on track in life. These two help decimate negativities around oneself and look at the brighter aspects. There will be hurdles on the way no doubt in whatever we do but it will be perseverance and optimism that will motivate us to overcome them in pursuit of a better tomorrow.

Frontlist: Sounak's encounters with different women are described as brief romantic endeavors. What motivated you to explore these shorter relationships rather than focusing on a single long-term romance?

Dr kisholoy: I understand I have already mentioned what sets this book apart from other books belonging to this genre. I never wanted to write a Mills & Boon type of story or for that matter types of romantic novels written by contemporary Indian authors. I wanted to do something different with the work as far as its presentation was concerned. Something unique that is easily readable, leaves a feel good feeling and that makes readers aware of many such love stories of average individuals around us about whom we either are unaware or are least bothered about but then they constitute a major chunk of the society who simply cannot be ignored.

Frontlist: The protagonist's imperfections offer a refreshing departure from the trend of perfect protagonists. Could you discuss the significance of portraying flawed characters and how it adds depth to the story of "Sounak's Love Stories"?

Dr kisholoy: If an author wishes to depict realism in a story, flawed characters are bound to come by. Most of us are flawed for sure. Each of us have strengths definitely but we suffer from several weaknesses and constraints too that we often do not reveal to the society and take pride in that act. But then that does not make us perfect. By portraying flawed characters, I hope I have been able to paint a truer picture of the society we are in and hopefully that makes my work stand out of the clutter of dynamic romantic stories with perfect protagonists.