A Candid Interview with Nupur Anand | Author Of Mehboob Murderer

Hi Friends,

Allow me to introduce Nupur Anand. She is a journalist and writes for Reuters India. We, however, came to know about her through her book “Mehboob Murderer”. Published by “Om Books International”, “Mehboob Murderer” is a fantastic choice for thriller lovers. You can read our detailed book review for the same at:

• Mehboob Murderer by Nupur Anand | Book Review

Reading Mehboob Murderer is an interesting experience for us and we like the way the characters are curated and the story is weaved. It intrigued us to know more about the author and her journey as an author.

Nupur Anand | Author Of Mehboob Murderer

What could have been a better alternative than having an author interview with her?

We’ve approached her and we found her a genuine and straight forward person. The things worked out as expected and from our team I got a chance to have a Q/A session with her.

I am delighted to share it with you all, here we go.

Thank you Jiten for having me on this platform, it is a delight. At the outset, I would like to thank you for your patience as due to some avoidable and unavoidable reasons the interview took longer than expected but then, hey, better late than never!

A writer is often mired in self-doubt, someone with their debut work are plagued by it all the time. So while in the process of writing the book I had often asked myself that will anyone read it? Why am I doing this? And from that point on to today, it has been a very fulfilling journey as my book is an official bestseller now. A big shout out to everyone who took time to read it and gave their feedback, including you, thank you.

I am also thrilled to tell you that Mehboob Murderer has been picked up by a major production house for screen adaptations. So the response has been overwhelming and I am filled with gratitude.

Absolutely, as I was telling you earlier when I started writing this book I wasn’t sure who I was writing it for or if it would ever see the light of the day. But at that point of time, I was determined that I had to write it because I had a story to tell and I owed it to myself. I am glad I did. Frankly, I can’t imagine who I would been as a person if for some reason I hadn’t decided to take the plunge.

This is always a difficult one but I will do my best without trying to bore you with sundry details!

I am from Patna but had moved out after school and have lived in Delhi and Bangalore before moving to Bombay that has been home for over a decade. I am one of those lucky people who get to write even for a living. I am a business journalist by day and someone who is struggling to write their second book by night. I am a crime fiction junkie who is more biased towards binge watching shows these days.

Interesting question, something I haven’t really thought about but for as long as I can remember I have enjoyed writing. From diary entries to letters to article and now a book, I feel writing empowers me. For me it is a medium of expression, a tool of communication and a part of my identity by now. I don’t think anything sums it better for me about what writing is than this good old quote

I write, therefore I am.

I think this was around 2010-11 when I had stepped into an old quintessential Parsi café on a rainy Bombay evening. The café was filled with an odd mix of people and they all seemed like they had a story to tell. I was with a friend and I had remarked that if I ever write a play (because writing a book was nowhere in question), this will be the starting scene. Years later when my book reading addiction was in full swing, on one such sleepless night, I told myself I should give writing a shot. And then I remembered that I already had the first chapter written (in my head, that is).

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For me the reason is simple, it is because I absolutely enjoy reading police procedurals more than any other genres. The whole journey of identifying with a cop, going through their personal and professional crisis, the clues, the guessing game, the sneak peek into how the police system works is very thrilling. And since I personally enjoy it as much, for me it was a no-brainer when it came to pick a genre for writing.

When I first landed in Mumbai in 2008, I was an outsider but over the years it has been home for me. A home which I had not inherited but more acquired and inculcated. The version of the city that you see in the book are my personal impressions. However, I did do some reading up on the history and architecture about the city apart from some reading into the police system, forensics and others in India.

I wish I was more of a disciplined writer, but I am not. I am more inclined to write when I feel like it. Though, I always prefer to write either really late at night or early in the morning when it is free from disturbances.

Yes, absolutely. The epilogue of Mehboob Murderer gives you a taste of what you can expect. It is still work in progress so can’t divulge more. But for now, I am sticking to the genre and you can expect another book in the series.

Very true.

Mehboob Murderer by Nupur Anand | Book Cover

Actually we debated over the cover design for months and the final cover that you see was my idea which randomly struck me on the dinner table of all places! And I had conveyed it to my publishers who thankfully liked it as well and executed it beautifully.

It has been an eye-opener. From the point the book was conceived to the reception it got, it has taught me a lot about people and processes. It is a journey that is difficult to explain until and unless taken but will suffice to say that I have come out of it emotionally richer in ways, I hadn’t even imagined.

I love the Rebus series by Ian Rankin, Martin Beck series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, the Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Apart from these I have also loved reading Pierre Lemaitre, Keigo Higashino and Camilla Lackberg.

Currently, I am reading Knife by Jo Nesbø and R. J. Anderson.

I think it’s a good way to promote your work. However, I haven’t tried it personally so will not be able to comment much on it.

I have phases, I believe. There are times when I enjoy reading only on Kindle and then at other times, I like thumbing through a hard copy. But now, I mostly read on Kindle because of the convenience.

I am on Facebook by my name and also have an author page, you can connect with me on _nupuranand on Instagram and @Nupursays on Twitter.

Quick Purchase Links:

• Buy Book From Amazon India – Paperback
• Buy Book From Amazon India – Kindle EBook
• Buy Book From Amazon US – Kindle Ebook
• Buy Book From Amazon US – Kindle Ebook

Over To You:

I hope you have enjoyed the Q/A session with him. And many of your questions might be already answered. Let us know that what do you think about this Interview session? Do you want us to ask anything else to heron your behalf? Do let us know. Also, let us know which other authors you like us to interview? Do let us know your thoughts and remarks via comments below. Do not forget to share this article with your friends over various social networks via Twitter, Facebook and others. And yes, you may like to subscribe to our RSS feeds and follow us on various Social networks to get latest updates for the site to land right in your mailbox.