"When I am writing, I lose myself like a prayer" - Author Anuj Tikku

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anuj Tikku is a famous Bollywood actor and the leading face in several TV commercials and Bollywood films. He has a Management Degree from IMT Ghaziabad and an Engineering Degree from the University of Manchester. Currently, he runs a travel blog called TikkusTravelthon.in and has spoken in several blogger conferences as an expert and a motivational speaker.

INTERVIEW

Q. What inspired you to write this book?

Shaming Of Diya is a story loosely based on true events, where I stalked a famous erotica actress, and she reported my naked videos to the police. The subsequent events that followed are what the book is all about. It sheds light on Revenge Porn that is very common on the internet amongst the youth.

Q. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

Society sees a woman as a being who should be loved and respected at all times. All laws are for women and to protect them from harm or shame. But the moral question is will society, police, and establishment come out in the same aggressive way to protect the honor of a whore, a sex worker as it came out to protect the honor of an established actress. I doubt it.

If I had shamed a prostitute by posting my and her naked pictures on the net in the same manner, would the police have arrested me and detained me? Would the law have punished me in the same way? Again I doubt it. My point is all women have to be respected irrespective. We cannot disrespect whores and only Honour educated Urban woman who is in other professions in life.

Either all women are whores or all Godesses, there cannot be a Diacotomy in this because, as a man, I never had sex with any woman so far without the exchange of material gain or money. In that regard, marriage itself is legal prostitution.

Q. What is the significance of the title?

The title suggests the shaming of a woman through the internet, and Diya is her name.

Q. If you had to describe Diya in three words, what would those three words be?

Beautiful, Fantastic, Fearless

Q. What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

My laptop and mobile had been seized and sent to cyber-crime for inspection. So I wrote this book on a borrowed laptop from a friend. The cover was also a challenge as it had to convey its theme.

Q. How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

The youth, the Netizens age group 18 to 25 years.

Q. What was your dream job when you were younger?

Disc Jockey

Q. Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

Yes! When I am writing, I lose myself, and like a prayer, I am fully focused on the task, I lose myself completely.

Q. What is your beverage of choice while writing?

Pot

Q. Future of SALISMANIA.com through your eyes?

I love the site. May you go from strength to strength.