Deeba Salim Irfan, a Dubai-based author who was a child during the revolution of 1979 in Iran, talks to SHAlINI SAKSENA about the pre-Khomeini times and how her novel Urma is about an Iranian woman displaced from her country at that time
Tell us about about your book, Urma.
It is a woman-centric novel. The protagonist is an Iranian who is a control freak. Though she fears nothing, she gets agitated when it snows. It talks about the times when she had to leave her country because of the revolution in Iran. This displacement from her home has left a long-lasting impact on her and made the person she is today.
Does this mean that the book is only for womenIJ
Not at all. Though the lead is a woman, it is for all those people who have been affected by certain events in their lives that forced them to leave their homes. A few men who have read my book tell me that while the protagonist is a woman, the book is an inspiration to how one needs to cope with life-changing events in one’s life.
What is the underlying message of the bookIJ
That if a woman is strong she can overcome anything in life. It is one’s strength that help’s overcomes all. As one reads the book one will realise that Urma Behdad rediscovers herself and that it is her survival instincts that helped her all along.
The book is about an Iranian woman. How do other women find a connect with the protagonistIJ
While the backdrop of the book is Iran; it is in no way just for the women of that country. I believe that the book sends out a very strong message that a woman has the strength to face any hardships in life. There are so many women in the world who would have faced hardships. This book will tell them no matter what,never give up hope.
You were in Iran yourself during the revolution. Tell us about that.
My father was an ENT surgeon and was invited to work their during Shah’s time. I was very young but I remember that women played a very important role in the society. They were highly educated and had a voice and they were heard. Most people are of the opinion that a majority of the population wanted the Shah rule to end. But the truth is that most of the people were happy, even prosperous. Only a handful of people wanted a change. They thought that a revolution will free them of Shah’s rule and usher in an era where there will be democracy. But as it turned out, the Ayatollah Khomeini rein only brought misery to the people. The worst part was that the women lost their position in the society. In fact, they were oppressed.
How does a person with an MBA in marketing become an authorIJ
The story of Urma was always inside me. I had been wanting to tell it for years. When I was sent back from Iran to India to study I decided to concentrate on that. I worked with an advertising company and that is when the story actually started to take shape. So, I started writing and sent the book to the publisher. I was shocked when it came back with red marks all over and was asked to send it in a proper format. It was then that I decided to take a writing course and enrolled in the london School of Journalism. I re-wrote seven times before the final draft was approved. But I can finally call myself an author.
Is it difficult to make space for women authorsIJ
No, I don’t think so. I have never faced any problem because of my gender. All first-time authors have to go through the same process that I went through.
Where would you place the modern Iranian woman todayIJ
They are finally finding their feet. Though unfortunately, it will be difficult for them to go back to the times when they held pride of place in the society. Though they are educated, they still continue to be subjugated and that is sad and unfortunate.
You are writing your second book. What is that aboutIJ
It is finished and in its final stages. like Urma, this one too will be woman-centric. I don’t want to say more about it at this stage. I just request the people to pick it up, read it and give their feedback.