Behind the Sari Shop

A few months into its release in India, The Sari Shop Widow has found itself on the bestsellers’ shelf at most book stores in the country. After Hrs chats with author Shobhan Bantwal as she discusses the novel, the dearth of female protagonists and also has a message for women writers

Omkar Rege

With six novels to her name, and having co-written a couple of anthologies, Shobhan Bantwal has carved a niche for herself. Based in Arizona, USA, the author not only writes novels, but is also a columnist and writer of short fiction. Her debut work, The Dowry Bride, was well received and was followed by an equally successful novel titled The Unexpected Son. Her work primarily combines contemporary women’s issues with romantic elements. With her latest book, The Sari Shop Widow, available at book stores in India, Shobhan gets candid with After Hrs.

“The idea for this book came to me while shopping in the teeming ethnic community located in New Jersey, affectionately referred to as Little India; because it is a slice of India transplanted into the heart of middle-class America,” Shobhan states. The book narrates the story of Anjali Kapadia, who runs an upscale sari boutique in Little India, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Help arrives in the form of her uncle from India who also brings along an Anglo-Indian business partner. Anjali falls in love with this mysterious man, which adds to her complications. Torn between two loyalties, she then has to make a life-altering decision.

Speaking about the dearth of female protagonists in fictional literature, Shobhan comments, “Male protagonists may be more common in Asia, where society seems to encourage men to boldly publish their viewpoints in fictional stories. I believe women in India may still be a bit shy about writing fiction for public consumption.” However, she also adds, “Approximately 50% of total fiction sales comprised romance, and romance always has a female protagonist. Besides that, many bestselling novels even portray women leads in tough roles like police or FBI agents, criminal lawyers and athletes.”

When not writing, the author loves reading mysteries, thrillers and romance in all its sub-genres. “At the moment, I am not working on any new books, but I am deeply involved in the editing process for five of my books that we look to publish in India and the subcontinent,” she says before signing off.

omkar.rege@dnaindia.net