Amit Bagaria: I was kidnapped by a politician-cum-businessman once
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amit Bagaria is a serial entrepreneur-turned serial author, who has authored 10 books since December 2017. An out-of-the-box thinker, thought leader and marketing whiz, he excels at challenging fixated mind-sets of the majority in India.
Amit has not just written, but has also been vastly written about. He has featured in 250+ media articles in 19 countries, including 25+ newspaper front pages and 40+ TV features or interviews. At the age of 21, Amit started an NGO to help college students fight drug abuse, which got featured in the front-pages of Calcutta’s two leading newspapers.
As an entrepreneur, Amit has been India’s No.1 Healthcare Consultant, India’s No.1 Retail Consultant and India’s No.1 Residential Real Estate Consultant.
INTERVIEW:
Q. Characterize yourself in one word?
Bold
Q. Please describe what the story/book is about in one sentence.
A spy-political-military thriller based on an alternate reality of Indian Politics and Indo-Pak conflicts.
Q. Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing (and getting published, if applicable) before breaking out with this book?
Before this book, which is my debut fiction novel, I have written 9 non-fiction books. Many people - including my publisher - had been telling me that writing Fiction is more difficult than Non-fiction, and I decided to take up the challenge. I chose the subject of alternate reality, as I was very fascinated with the TV Series THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, which is based on an alternate reality about World War II.
Q. What has been your biggest achievement?
Winning the JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD in my very first semester with my University Newspaper in USA.
Q. Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break-in?
I have been writing since childhood. My first article got published in my school newspaper when I was in Class 4. I was Editor of my High School newspaper when I was in Class 9-10. I was News Editor of my University newspaper when I was studying journalism in USA. I have contributed more than 45 guest articles to various newspapers and industry-specific magazines.
Q. Did you have a platform in place? On this topic, what are you doing to build a platform and gain readership?
I use many platforms such as Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to gain readership. Also, sensible reviews help in some way, though most Indian reviewers don’t write sensible reviews.
Q. Favorite book?
SEVEN DAYS IN MAY by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II
Q. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?
I was kidnapped by a politician-cum-businessman once.
Q. Future of SALISMANIA.com through your eyes?
Platforms such as Salismania are much needed in India, especially by Authors.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Gang of Six were clinching their fists under the 21-seater oval teak table in the PMO in New Delhi. How could their Prime Minister speak to them like that? How does the Constitution of India allow such people, with just 35 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha, to become the PM?
The Indian PM's aircraft took off from Islamabad Airport at 7:45 am IST and was scheduled to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi at 9:10 am IST. When the aircraft started deviating from its scheduled route, there was panic at the IGIA air traffic control tower. By 9:15 am IST, the aircraft was seen heading south, when it became out of range of the radars at IGIA. Had the PM's aircraft been hijacked? Was it headed to Sri Lanka or the Maldives?
The defence minister, external affairs minister and the NSA had accompanied the PM to Islamabad. In their absence, the best men to contact the Indian Air Force Chief were the cabinet secretary or the defence secretary. Both men tried to get hold of him, but to no avail. He was not answering his office or mobile phone. They tried the Vice Chief and got no response either. What in hell was going on?
By 9:45 am IST, Indian Army soldiers in battle gear began arriving in army trucks at North and South Block, and at various other ministry buildings spread across Lutyens' Delhi. Hundreds of soldiers also arrived at the residences of the union ministers in the 28.7 km2 Lutyens Bungalow Zone.
At 9:45 pm Pakistan Time, about five hours after the Indian generals had finished the press conference in New Delhi and about two hours after millions had started demonstrating on roads across fifty-plus Indian cities, Prime Minister Irfan Khan chaired a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Council. A plan of action was framed.
PUBLISHER: Notion Press
PAGES: 190
GENRE: Crime, Thriller & Mystery
WHAT TO READ NEXT: Spies, Lies & Red Tape by Amit Bagaria