Alia Bhatt talks becoming an author, her childhood and playing Raha in new book

Known for breaking the rules, Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt dons a new storyteller’s hat. In his recent debut novel, “Ed Finds a Home,” Bhatt fuses reality and fantasy, chronicling the outdoor adventures of a young girl (endowed with supernatural powers) and her canine companion (a rescued puppy). As we turn the pages, nature is personified as a talking tree, a chattering crow, whispering birds, and muttering leaves. Together, the two friends forge a connection with their surroundings in a deep and intimate way that, as Bhatt says, “is about encouraging children to interact with nature through outdoor activities and reading.” In an exclusive interaction with Midday, the actor-entrepreneur tells us the genesis of the book, how Raha (his daughter) inspires him to tell stories, the reflections from Alia’s childhood that find their way into the book and his upcoming projects for “Ed-a-Mamma”. “.

Published by Puffin, the children’s division of Penguin Random House, the book was co-written with Vivek Kamath and Shabnam Minwalla, with illustrations by Tanvi Bhat. First in the “Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma” series, this book will be followed by five other editions focused on the themes of environmental responsibility.

The book is printed in full color on durable paper, an industry first for any publishing house. It also aligns with Alia’s vision to inspire a generation of mini-planets through the power of storytelling.

Edited excerpts:

Congratulations on the book, Alia. What made a Bollywood diva take up writing for a children’s beat?

Alia: (Laughs) Thanks, like I said, things happen at their own pace. What drives my passion as an actor is my deep fascination with the script. I’m really into the overall universe of the whole plot. When the scripts come to me, I’m so excited! Even if I don’t take on that role, I still jump in with my suggestions: “Hey, maybe try this, or maybe do it this way.” »

I remember the transition to writing happened about five years ago, when Covid hit us. I had tried to write earlier but those words rarely saw the light of day. To date, I have only managed to complete one complete story, besides “Ed Finds a Home.”

It was during lockdown, I took a screenwriting course and finished my first story about a child struggling with his shoelaces. Well, you ask why children’s stories? It’s because they talk to me. As a little girl, I was a bit weird, living in my own fantasy world, different from everyone else’s. And I think all children feel that. That’s why I write about it, trying to make sense of things.

I guess I’m still like a child in many ways.

Finishing this story taught me that writing has to come from within, you have to dig deep and bring it out. And, fiction writing can become difficult because it comes from your imagination. Sometimes I lost sight of the plot and the story eluded me.

That’s when I know I need my pencil pushers to help me overcome writer’s block. For the Ed-a-Mamma series, I couldn’t have done it without Vivek and Shabnam. I’ve discovered that the key is to blend my own voice with elements of other writers. That’s why I’m really looking forward to collaborating with my sister, Shaheen, who may join us as a co-storyteller for the next edition.

Speaking of the storyline, do we find any reflections of your childhood in the book?

Alia: In the book, there is this part where a crow steals food from these two children in class. These kids are named after my school friends, Kanchi and Bobby. Kanchi’s sandwich and Bobby’s parathas were to die for! And honestly, the truth is I was stealing their food. Not exactly stealing, but taking their food in front of their noses and eating it myself.

Besides fun stuff, writing this book also took me back to my childhood, when I was a daydreamer, looking out the window, understanding the “how” and “why” of life. As a child, you kind of feel like your story is unusual. Even if you don’t, even if you do normal things, you just tend to experience a different reality in your head.

So I put those things in the book. I think every child and every adult goes through similar rhythms and developments in life. That’s why I try to make it a subject that everyone can relate to and to transmit the values ​​that we want to teach young readers.

And again, this is something I want to do in a very casual way through entertainment. I don’t think anything said too loudly or in a very preachy way is ever received very comfortably. Thus, a little reality mixed with a little wonder becomes the medium to propel the message.

Speaking of childhood imagination, did Raha influence the world of the book? If yes, how ?

Alia: Yeah. Just before the book went to press, I wrote a final draft in which I focused on how the words flowed and sounded as they rolled off the tongue. This happened after reading to Raha every night, which sparked some last minute changes. It was a good exercise; I think it added more clarity and a better understanding of how the story unfolded.

We recently saw a photo of you reading to Raha on a Sunday morning. The image represented nourishing reading habits, something that today’s digitally-focused children often lack. What advice do you offer to young parents wanting to encourage reading habits in their children?

Alia: Oh, I haven’t reached that stage yet. I don’t have any real advice to give. Also, in general, I always avoid giving advice because I feel like everyone has their own journey and experience. And I’m telling you this as a child first hand. Because when I was a child, my mother forced me to read.
I have never done that. I just never could read. My sister has always been the reader. I was more interested in doing things outside and getting lost in my imagination. And my mother finally let me do which turned out to have its own benefits.

However, for my daughter, what I try to do is what comes naturally to me as a parent. We make sure to read to him every night. It’s like a norm, a routine that we follow since day one. And it never changes, so you try to maintain it as long as possible until they reject it or continue to accept it.

How was the journey of creating a graphic novel with Vivek Kamath and Shabnam Minwalla? What’s next for Ed?

Alia: Vivek and I sat down, decided to create a children’s book and immediately chose a girl and her dog as the main characters. We planned to make it a series that we would publish over the years. This happened at a time when animated series and content aimed at children were booming and finding their own place in the content world.

Shabnam brought her own quirks to the world of Ed-a-Mamma through her knowledge of classrooms, incorporating the school environment into the book. So far it has gone well and it will resonate with the children who will read the book.

For the duo to meet, we thought we would do a rescue story. Pretty simple, right? After the rescue, the adventures begin as they engage in outdoor activities and flow from each other’s strengths. Drawing on a child’s imagination, we gave this little girl a superpower to communicate with animals, trees and birds. This is how nature becomes her confidante and guides her to help those around her who need it.

So, Ed Finds a Home is number one. It’s basically how your protagonists meet. And now the second and third parts, like in the next two books, would be the different journeys that they take and how, in their own way, they save the day. We also plan to turn the books into an animated series in the future.