Subhechcha Ganguly 
Q1) Do tell us about the start of your writing journey and since when did you think that you would set your first foot as an author .
I watched my paternal grandfather endlessly write sitting on his desk when I went to visit him in Kolkata in my childhood years. He sat for hours and translated the works of the Gautam Buddha from Pali to Bengali and English. He even travelled to the US and gave lectures and promoted his books. I presume that was the spark that inspired me to become an author. I tried endlessly and nurtured my dream till my late thirties. I went about my life becoming a physiotherapist and pioneering the concept of antenatal programs for expecting couples in India through my centre Dwi Maternity Studio. Achieving the dream of becoming an author was always eluding me. Then finally in 2017, I embarked on a trek to the Gokyo lakes in the Himalayan ranges of Nepal and I failed to complete it. Six nights and five days of wandering heart broken and disappointed I trekked back all alone and this journey became the story based on which I published my first book “ The Girl Who Was Left Behind “ in 2018. Since then there was no looking back. Twenty five books in various genres including pregnancy, childbirth, mental health of young women and moms, transforming failures to success and self-love, I have been writing books on and fulfilling my dream of becoming an established author.
Q2) You make several videos on motivation , self-help .Tell us about your initiative and to what extent you feel mental health is important.
My experience of twenty years as a prenatal counsellor dealing with young couples through such a crucial phase of their life opened my eyes to the relation between mental health and its overall impact on an individuals’ life. If the mind was kept steady and unaverred then women could accomplish great feats, sustain through high risk pregnancies, breeze through the mother of all pains like labour pains. When the mind gave up then came the gambit of physical health complications and emotional upheavals.After I failed to complete my first trek I went ahead and completed a series pf treks like mount Fuji, Kilimajaro, Everest base camp trek, Annapurna Circuit , the Harmukh Glacier to name a few. I learnt from my experience the power of self-realization and mental grit I could face most challenges like extreme weather, harsh uneven terrain on these arduous mountains only with the help of my will power.
Hence I focus on contributing to the mental health of my readers and followers inspiring them to take care of their mental health. A sound mind can unleash the innermost and unimaginable potentials of any individual to get through the toughest times.
Q3) ” Now you breathe ” is one of the most important books that have come up in the country so far .Tell us how you curated the book and what was your thought behind it .
Now you breathe is the culmination of all the books that I have written and challenges I have faced in my life. What do circumstances, trauma, pain do to people? It corrupts the human spirit and leads to the spreading of toxicity among individuals like a plague or a disease. The human mind can become sick due to experiencing trauma, neglect or pain just like the human body can become diseased by various reasons.
During the counselling sessions with my expecting clients I figured out that most conflicts in a relationship could be resolved. Couples began to understand and appreciate each other and amicably carry on the responsibilities of parenting. In some instances I was rendered helpless I figured no amount of help could salvage individuals because of their altered irrational personality and rigid mindset which only drove them to seek negative outcomes. This insight opened my eyes to my personal issues like childhood trauma and abuse.
After extensive research and further upgrading my professional skills to understand human behaviour and personality traits I penned this book for people who were stuck in self sabotaging situations deliberately created by the their counterparts in various personal and professional spaces which only lead to mayhem of the victims physical and mental health. I intend to save a million and more lives through these books by generating awareness amongst people to recognise red flags in toxic relationships, decipher that they are dealing with people whose mindsets cannot be changed without professional help. Through these book I urge people whichever side of the line they may be on the victims or the abuser to seek professional help. My extended purpose is to save innocent children from suffering at the hands of dysfunctional adults for no fault of theirs, through this book.
Q4) Social Media is both a boon and curse .Kindly guide the youth on making proper use of social media for good mental health.
I totally second that social media is both boon and a curse. It all depends on how today’s youth uses it. The points below would give clear directions
What is the purpose of being on social media?
What is the time that should be dedicated to social media so the time for essential things like career, education, sleep and personal relationships are not compromised.
Keeping a balance between expectations in the real world and the mirage of the reel world.
Having a few and handful genuine relationships in the real world as compared to the never ending list of friends in the virtual world. The list of true well-wishers and friends should be kept compact and carefully sorted in the real world. Whereas the list of virtual friends can be endless and distinctly knowing the importance and contribution of these people in either camps.
Keeping oneself protected by keeping their security settings adequate in their social media handles and also wearing a protective armour around their heart and emotions to trolling and insensitive people on social media. In simple English Give a damn to what negative things others have to say and mind what you and how you comment about others.
Q5) You have won prestigious awards like the Yuukke Women of Excellence Award .Tell us your experience behind it .
It was an overwhelming experience to get this award. Being a pioneer in a field that is unknown as a prenatal counsellor finding success to striving and gaining recognition as an author while balancing the personal front of life discharging my duties as a mother spouse daughter etc has been quite a roller coaster ride. All the hard work heartaches disappointments were justified. Not only that to be recognised by a forum that believes in empowering other women like me who would get to feel similar levels of recognition made me very extremely elated.
Q6) Give an advice to the youth who wants to take up the profession of an author in future.
Hold on to your dream. Keep working towards it little by little. Doesn’t matter how insignificant the progress is how much you are able to write. Rome was not built in a day. Keep writing, save everything you write even the tiniest piece of random scribbling. Someday each piece will conjure up to making the bigger picture.
Your professional goals should have not only success as your destination but also a purpose to guide you through it. How do you impact others? How can you contribute to the society? How will your writing help inspire others? Keep these in mind as you pursue your profession as an author. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Let your writing be a part of this legacy.
@kapoor_rakhi
Amazon.com/author/rakhikapoor
