An interview with an author need not always be intellectually stimulating. With Jaishree Misra, the seriousness of a one-on-one wears off in the initial 10 minutes and progresses into some kind of a chitchat you would have with your favourite cousin on a vacation. Unassuming is the closest you can get to describe her. And being articulate is, perhaps second nature to her.

In India, women’s writing in English has come of age. Jaishree Misra bull-headed into the scene in 2000 with Ancient Promises. Four novels on various aspects of life later, she has launched her fifth novel— this time a historical fiction, Rani, a beautiful account of the growth of Manikarnika from a 13-year-old bride of the raja of Jhansi to the fiery rani of Jhansi— at an impressive event in the City recently.

Writing helps her catch up with the 20’s she lost on a bad marriage and divorce. A film classifier at the BBFC, Jaishree indulges in this favourite pastime (writing) whenever she finds time. Excerpts from an interview with Sunday Herald...

How much are you into history? And the inspiration behind dealing with the life of  Rani of Jhansi?

I used to hate history, especially in school. But I guess, that’s the problem with the educational system in the country. They do not know how to make history interesting. Rani of Jhansi started occupying my fancy sometime back. On one hand, I wanted to write something different and on the other, I feel we have a lot to learn from history.

But why Rani of Jhansi, who lived more than 100 years ago and not somebody like Sarojini Naidu whose life and the details would have been easier to track down?

(Laughs) There is a lot of research materials available on Rani of Jhansi. In fact, I got more than half of the material from one single book, India and its native princes: Travels in India and in the presidencies of Bombay and Bengal by Louis Rousselet who had visited India in the 1830s. All that left to me was to use my imagination. I did a lot of travelling to these places I describe in the book to get the details right. At the same time, like you said, if I were writing about someone like Sarojini Naidu, it would have read like a documentary of sorts since not enough material is available on her personal life.

Brief me on the amount of research that has gone into the writing of this book?

Like I said, I referred to many books and visited the places. I referred to Indian sources as well as the English ones. Many a times I noticed the details from these sources to be contradictory. For example, Indian sources say that the Rani had a baby who died in infancy whereas according to the English, she never bore a child. Even though I went with the Indian sources in the book, I feel the truth maybe otherwise. It’s just that the Indians wanted their Rani to be a complete woman and not barren.

Were you not wary of the fact that your book might come under the scanner of the historians?

Of course I was. Even then, I wanted to write it because not many Indian authors have written historical fiction.

What excited you the most while dealing with such a theme ... something that’s far removed from your earlier subjects of love and marriage? Will you write another historical fiction?

It’s my new found love for history that gave me the biggest kick. This generation has to learn a lot from history. And there has to be someone to educate them in a language they could comprehend or interest them.

Why not. I have enjoyed writing it and now I have the confidence too.

Going back to your earlier writings, your semi-autobiographical book ‘Ancient Promises’ for example, have you ever thought of the prospect of Arjun not coming back to Janu or refusing to take her back into his life?

I actually thought of it when I was reaching the tail end of the book. I was worried about the chocolate-box ending where Arjun comes back like a knight in shining arms to rescue her. I had no clear end in mind and had three options in front of me— Janu going with her boyfriend; deciding to remain independent for the rest of her life or going back to her husband, which I thought, was more of a realistic option. I discussed my dilemma with my brother and he didn’t want it to end on a depressing note where Janu goes back to her husband. So finally I left it to the reader’s imagination and the book ends with Janu going somewhere in an autorickshaw with her mother and her daughter.

My editor in UK wanted to sell ‘Ancient Promises’ as my autobiography. But by then, I had already fictionalised many parts of the book. But the editor insisted that the readers should know the truth. So, in the author’s note, I had to include what actually happened in my life.

What was your initial reaction when you came to know that your child was disabled? How did you come to terms with it?

It was much like what I had described in the book. I knew something was amiss in the first three months after my daughter, Rohini, was born. When I took her to her pediatrician, she very bluntly told me that the child was disabled. Even though, it was shocking then, I gradually came to terms with the reality. But I still feel people in the medical profession should be trained to break bad news. They shouldn’t be dismissive to people’s feelings.

What’s your take on women’s writing in India these days? Do you think the pretty faces of these authors, including you, add to the salability of the book.

Brilliant.

I don’t think pretty faces alone can sell the books (laughs). But these days, it’s all about marketing your product. So if the author has a pretty face, or if he/she is articulate, they automatically become the media’s favourite. And the publisher’s too try to  push these things to get the book noticed.

What do you think of established writers like Arundhati Roy taking up social causes more seriously? Like the cynics complain, do you think she should concentrate on writing than just be a rabble-rouser?

She is a great writer and I sincerely hope she gets back to fiction writing. But I don’t think anybody should worry about what she should do and what she shouldn’t. It’s her call, after all.

What’s the state of women’s liberation in India?

I see a great improvement in the way women are treated these days. They have stopped taking nonsense any more and go that extra mile to enjoy life. But I guess, even in metros, they still cannot step out of the house after eight in the night, which is bad.

What is your next project? And finally, how does it feel to be a writer?

The next is a novel on women in London; about female friendship and a murder.

Great. I am enjoying every bit of it and it helps me in a curious way I can’t explain. Perhaps, that’s because, I catch up on my 20’s I lost to a bad marriage through writing. But even now I don’t consider myself as a full time writer. That maybe because I have another job and writing is something I try to do in between.