How did writing a book come about?
- I just started writing for myself. I wasn’t sure if it was good. I slowly joined a Writer’s group and then it gradually becomes important to share your work, hence the publishing happened.

You mostly write about South Asian Immigrants.
- All the time I was growing up in India. I began writing after several years in the U.S., mostly for personal reasons. It was very important for me to explore my Indian roots.

My early writing was about growing up in India. The whole immigration has been important to me, a transformational experience, I had come from a sheltered background. I was very interested in immigrants, the idea of changing countries, how the new generation is connecting to their Indian roots.

How do you see the relation between literature and Cinema?
- It is a wonderful relationship. I am always very excited and interested in adaptations. Cinema is a powerful medium.

Do you think Books adapted into Movies do justice to already existing good literature?
- One has to come from the premise that Cinema is a different medium. It will be compressed. The director has to be intelligent and should know what is to be edited and what is not. The feeling and atmosphere of the book should be conveyed well.

Your favorite Adaptation.
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I have watched it many time, it is very faithful to the book. The visuals and the sound is very powerful. That’s an example of a successful translation. The film is not just what the book is.

The Namesake. It captured all the wonderful things of the book.

Your own Book ‘The Mistress of Spices’ has been adapted into a Film and ‘Sister of my Heart’ into a Tamil TV Series. Did you have a say in it? Were you satisfied with the adaptations?
- I was not involved. I consulted whenever I was asked to but I did not want to be the horning sorts.

I was satisfied. They magnified the romance, but compressed the other plots in the book. I knew the film was going to be Gurinder’s vision and the book was my vision.

Sister of my Heart was truer to the book. It was changed to a Tamilian setting but it remained very faithful to the characters.

How do these adaptations help Writers?
- It encourages people to read the book, unless it is a bad film. Generally, it is a good thing.

Any book of yours, you would like to see turning into a Film?
- One Amazing Thing would make a good film. There is allot of action and story in it.

Palace of Illusions too. I would love to see Tabu as Draupadi and Aparna Sen make it. These two are my favorite.

Quick pointers for upcoming Writers.
- Read widely. Write allot. And revise even more. Do not work for the audience. If it is good, it will cross over. Just do great work.