Subhechcha Ganguly 
Q1) Since when did you have interest in writing ? What was your first writing memory like ?
Ans: I have been into experimentative theatre in all years of my school, college and thereafter in commercial theatre for 15 years .I was passionate to express myself through some form and played various characters, sang in competitive interschool competitions, and then got into my own production while pursuing commercial theatre. Acting and directing has been the field I have always been passionate about. The process of script reading got me interested in writing too as sometimes we had to make corrections in narrative. I think that was my first exposure to writing. During my college days, I was presenting this one act play written by someone known and while practicing we had to rewrite some portions of the storyline to make it more appealing. That was in a way my initial memory of writing something that later I performed too.
Q2) How did you decide the Topic for the book “Walk with me ?”
Ans: Walk with me is just not a story. There are some inspirations that I drew from real people that I met. But largely it’s a fiction. It’s a love story that one would find next door and the characters that one can relate to, very easily. The storyline and the narrative are such that kept me thinking of an apt title. It’s a story of two people who love each other a lot, but will their love for each other stand true in the most difficult phase of their lives when a decision is to be made of standing together or growing apart? This thought itself gave rise to the title. What really drives people who are in love to stand together, to stay in love no matter what and to hold hands and walk together strongly? Only true selfless love can make this happen, I thought.
Q3) Nowadays a lot of kids , have lost interest in reading books .They have got addicted towards social media .What are your views in the topic ?
Ans: Well, I don’t blame them. Not even kids, even adults have got hooked to online media thanks to the exposure and the content that is easily available. More time should ideally go on reading and absorbing content that can be meaningful and can assist in personal and professional growth. I am personally also connected to social media and it’s a great way to learn, share and absorb knowledge. Even books are nowadays available at a click of a button. It’s a personal choice to hold a book or a hold a digital asset while reading. I only feel that reading and learning should not stop, no matter what the media is. I personally love to hold a book or any kind of reading material than browse or read on a digital platform.
Q4) Do you think , writing helps to improve one’s mental health ? Are there any added benefits of writing ?
Ans: Writing or that matter reading helps a lot in improving focus and knowledge. You are into an imaginary world or a world that brings you closer to lot of knowledge and information that can be used in our personal and professional lives.
Writing personally to me is like meditation. Once I start writing, I don’t feel the world around. You are surrounded by so many characters, the story line itself, and as a writer one starts living those characters. Writing helps me in expressing better which I may not at times express in words. During the process of WALK WITH ME, I was completely involved in thinking how can I make these characters feel real to the readers. The names, the language and the environment is what I focused on, to make the story as real as possible. After completing the book, it was a bit tough for me to come out as I was completely involved in the characters.
Q5) You also have interest in Theatre and Direction .Which is your favourite work till now in this field ?
Ans: I have participated in Purushottam Karandak, Firodiya karandak which are very well-known theatre competitions held in Pune for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed performing in these competitions and our college was always a front runner giving tough competition to other colleges. Later when I started working in commercial theatre, one character I played was very challenging where this young man that I played was emotionally torn apart due to the ongoing divorce case between his parents. It was an extremely emotional role and the end of the play where I had a long monologue, was the toughest. This to me was my favourite work. Another one was from a play that I co-produced with a close friend called ‘Kaanade Raande’ where I was playing a double role, was tough as well, as theatre does not allow you to technically bring a double role to life as a camera or editing, can do, so we had to think of all those small nuances that can be real and convincing.
Q6) Give the writers a brief about your book ” Walk with me “.
“Someday the day will come when you will know me. Someday the time will come when you will hold me. Someday we will come to a road where you will walk with me.”
“This book is dedicated to all those who suffer silently, painfully and I would like to dedicate this book to those fighters, warriors, who knowingly-unknowingly fight chronic illnesses with courage, wisdom and hope to survive. Not just that, they encourage others to live a life that they can remember.
This book is a story about those who go through extreme physical pain but still find courage, and inspiration to live through and also inspire others. When you come to a point, where you have to choose between your life and the life of someone you love, obviously you choose your own. But there are people who choose to serve others. This book is also dedicated to such people who represent this race that lead by example, who forget their personal lives for the lives of others and set an example of selfless service to humanity driven by love and love only.
