Suchitra's stories

Priyadarshini Chatterjee meets the actress who launched her first book, The Summer of Cool, over the weekend

Priyadarshini Chatterjee meets the actress who launched her first book, The Summer of Cool, over the weekend

Resplendent in a purple batik-printed Anarkali dress, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi awed the students of Kamalabai Girls' High School as she read out passages from her first book, The Summer of Cool, at Reliance Time Out on Saturday.u00a0

Write path: Suchitra at the book launchu00a0Pic/ Satish Badiger

She turned out to be a gifted storyteller, an art she has obviously perfected over the years, practising constantly with her eight-year old daughter Kaveri.

Book of surprises

Little wonder then, that she has dedicated the book to her. In fact, she says she gets the ideas for her stories largely from Kaveri's friends.

"They range from seven to 12 years and since I hang out a lot with them, I get a lot of dope from them. Besides, I just love children. So I wrote about them."u00a0

Breezy read

The Summer of Cool is the first of a series of books for young adults. This one is about young Chitrangana, a compulsive liar, who lives in a cooperative housing society called Swapnalok in downtown Mumbai. Like most girls her age, she dreams of having long her, baking angel cakes and becoming someone famous when she grows up. But deep down what she really wants is to find her father. The book has a simple, humorous yet breezy style and can keep the reader hooked to it.

'My daddy's the best'

Suchitra herself has been greatly influenced by her father, Krishnamoorthi, who accompanied her to the launch and even read from the first three pages of the book. "His blessings mean a lot to me. He's had a positive and strong influence on me."

More in the pipeline

The next two books in this series are also ready, she says. They are titled Good News Reporter and Ghost on the Ledge.u00a0 "I want both kids and adults to read the books so the adults can understand kids of this age better," she says.

Multitasking mom

Do we see a desi Enid Blyton in the making?
I am not trying to be anybody, nor am I emulating anyone. I am just being myself.

Which amongst your roles of singer, actor, poet, painter and now author, do you like best?
All of them. Why would I do them otherwise?

Would you say you discovered your talents after you parted ways with Shekhar Kapur?
I had been struggling to find my feet all the while. But yes, I've able to discover myself after the divorce.

Are there any movies in the pipeline?
Yes I'm part of an ensemble cast in an Indo American production called Karma and Holi.u00a0

What about music albums?
Music is on hold at the moment.u00a0

Painting?
I wait for inspiration to strike.