My 3rd Book: My Yummy Mummy Guide with Karisma Kapoor



Bombay TImes 17.9.2013

The day of my 1st book Losing My Virginity And Other Dumb Ideas launch in March 2011, an editor for Penguin approached me to write a book with Karisma Kapoor. I thought it would be a great opportunity to write more books and attempt a non fiction. Also I thought I would get to run some screenplays of mine to her and her sister Kareena Kapoor. Easy. I would finish this book in a few months and move on to other projects.

I signed on the dotted line not knowing what it would entail. No royalty. Minimum pay. But I was excited.

My Yummy Mummy Guide was a difficult book to write. It took 2 years and a deep commitment from me.  

LMV and its sequel Mistakes Like Love And Sex came from my heart. They were autobiographical somewhere. A journey that was both fun and philosophical. Something I wanted to write for everyone to identify with. Something I wanted to publish so people would know who I was.

I admire Karisma for juggling so many things and still giving me time. While I was writing it, I saw so many similarities between her and me.

She lost 24 kilos in 9 months, and I put on 9 kilos in 24 months.

She puts her kids to bed at sharp 7 o clock. If it’s 7 o clock and my kid is still alive, I’ve done my job!

She’s so pretty and her kids look exactly like her. My child also looks like me – blank!

She can coordinate 2 children’s activities like the back of her hand. I’ve put a gps on the back of my child’s hand so I can locate her when she’s somewhere doing something.

She got pregnant on her first try like that (snap). I had to do it 33 times before I could conceive. It was a weekend I will never forget! ;)

So I’m truly happy for Karisma. She’s a great mom. And I hope this book is a bestseller as well.

For all the moms out there, I know how hard it is to juggle a career, children, a house, and still try and look semi decent. There are days when we forget to hit the parlour and look like Rana Rathor Singh with a moustache. There are days when we don't want to cook and Dominoes is our best friend and guilt our worst enemy. There are days when we are dying to go back to work just to get relief from our children but when we do, we miss them terribly. I completely sympathize with all women who just want one hour to themselves in a day. We would exchange our husbands for a perfect maid. Without a doubt!

I'm looking forward to writing fiction from now on for my books and leave the non fiction truth to my blog here. I am truly happy with the Gitanjali Group who covered the one book launch I was invited for and put my photo in the papers. I'm gonna save up money and buy my jewellery only from them now. Cos they showed me how important I was in front of Shobhaa De and Karisma Kapoor. Made me feel so special.

I hope all my friends will buy all the books and let me know which part they liked the most. Fiction or non fiction, we should be inspired through books and hope they help us in our daily life.

Midday Mumbai 17.9.2013