Writing this book was therapy for me : Divya Dutta

“Me and Ma” the name is indicative of strong emotional ties. So, tell us how was your relationship with your mother?
I think every chapter will have what she meant to me. Your mothers somewhere have told you, that you are the most beautiful or handsome people in the world and when that dream shatters, even for me, how she sat me down, made me understand, gave me hope for the future , I am never going to forget that and be it any secret: the men in my life, the guys who teased me, I never hid anything from her. She never judged me and I think from a mother to a daughter the best gift is that you would never judge your children. That is what she gave me on every step of my life. She was always very proud of me.

When did you decide on writing this book and why?

I have never planned anything that I would write something, as such. Me and my mother were best friends, soul mates and somewhere along the way, it became a role reversal for us where I became the mother and she became my baby but the journey was really special nevertheless and last year, she got really sick and I was at the ICU with her, the doctors had given up all hope, so I was just looking at her because I could do nothing about it and I sat there and said, “ Ma there is so much that I wanna talk about you with the world, share those beautiful memories you have given me as a mother and I want to write a book” and all of it just came instinctively.

Did your mother know you were writing a book about her?

Oh yes she did. In fact when she heard about it she was so excited and when she fell ill, she put it somewhere in my head that go write it and get busy with that because she knew I would not be able to deal with it otherwise. It was a great way of reliving the entire journey that we have had hand – in - hand. Trust me, writing this book was therapy for me.
Is the book only about mother - daughter bonding or other kind of bonding  too?
There will be lots of supporting actors in the book ( laughs ) but the main leads are my mom and me.
Accredited worldwide as an actor and now an author, do you wish to go beyond “Me and Ma” or was it the one and only?
I never plan. I am sure I will be writing more but this is the first, so, let me absorb the first one first.

Who is your favourite writer?

There are lots of favourite writers. Ruskin Bond, Satyajit Ray, I just love short stories.

A book that touched your heart?

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
Did you enjoy the writing experience?
Loved it (smiles).

(India Blooms News Serivice-Trans World Features)