Bijnis Woman

Author- Tanuja Chandra

Publisher- Penguin Random House, Rs299

Author and filmmaker Tanuja Chandra tells INDU PANDE how she wanted to tell the stories of the ordinary men and women of Uttar Pradesh because there is a lot in the State that is common with people from anywhere in India or even the world, and at the same time, there is much that is still unique to UP

Please tell us about the title of the book. What is a bijnis woman and why did you choose this as your topicIJ

Bijnis Woman is the title of the last story in the collection, a story of a sharp, entrepreneurial, plucky woman who was uneducated and poor but didn’t let that become a hurdle in her life. She had clear goals for her family, she was inspiring and awesome and never gave up. Which is the reason I chose this as the title for the book.

Do you think langhi in Bijnis Woman is the strongest, innovative character who is totally different from the other female characters in the storyIJ

I find something to admire in diverse people. langhi is different from the others, but they are special in their own, different ways. Each character has their own unique circumstances, their own mistakes to make and paths to forge. A woman fighting her specific reality for love or one doing it for her children — they’re both equally fascinating to me.

You have mentioned in the book, “Uttar Pradesh, in my experience, is filled with such stories of great ambition and great failure”. Does it refer to the unfulfilled dreams of women there in the past as well as the presentIJ

Not just the unfulfilled dreams of women but of men as well. For that matter, in all of humanity, has there been one, single individual since the beginning of time who didn’t experience, heartbreak, failure or disappointmentIJ living means negotiating pain, and yes, women have harboured a deeper sorrow because the world has always been a shining model of patriarchy. So naturally, their stories must be told with greater vigour. I’ve always gravitated towards stories of women and they form a big part of the book. That said, there are plenty really interesting male protagonists for whom I have a lot of empathy.

Is telling these stories your way of preserving the social history of Uttar PradeshIJ

These stories that I had heard often during family vacations, stayed with me over the years, and I felt if one didn’t record these stories they would be lost forever. For who cares for the longings or failures of ordinary people, rightIJ And yet, I feel there is so much to relate to here even for modern, urban readers, because we all know what it’s like to have our hearts broken or our ambitions thwarted; we all know sadness, and we all treasure laughter. There is no great mystery to this really — we love stories because they remind us of our best and worst selves. And when it’s Uttar Pradesh, it’s just that much more absurd, colourful, and memorable!

What is unique about stories of ordinary people’s life and experiences from the StateIJ

There is much in Uttar Pradesh that is common with people from anywhere in India or even the world, and at the same time, there is much that is unique to UP. Some quirky habit of a character, their way of expressing love or revenge, their cultural idiosyncrasies, even a protagonist’s oddball personal philosophy — these set these stories apart.

Do you think making use of regional words such as kaan salaayi, maika, madhur awaaz etc make easier for readers to relate to places and its peopleIJ

Hindi words are not restricted to a particular region of India, it’s the way they’re used that makes them imply a certain place. I’ve used words that organically belong to the stories, I haven’t plugged them forcefully just to introduce a particular flavour. And yet, language can be such fun! Some words connote much more than just their meaning, I’ve tried to use these.

 Can we call the wild tales folklore of Uttar PradeshIJ

These are just 14 stories from Uttar Pradesh that have come from what I’ve heard — think of the vast treasure house that’s out there, the countless wild tales that people have heard and told over years, decades and centuries! These are too few to constitute folklore, but yes, they form a tiny part of our great storytelling tradition, and that makes me immensely happy!

You have written script of well known films like Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Zakhm, Tamanna etc centered on female protagonists. Does your work inspire you to write this bookIJ

These scripts were exciting to work on as well as scripts of films I’ve directed — one learns to write when one actually writes! Screenplay writing is different from writing books, however what’s common to both is the urge to tell stories, to forge a plot, to carve characters with real, beating hearts, to touch the listener’s heart. I’m just a debutant book writer and there’s a long way to go. But it’s an exciting journey.