Set in the realm of advertising, A Pitch for Love (HarperCollins), is funny, wicked and deliciously gossipy about the going-ons in Leapfrog, a Mumbai company. It is also very ‘insider-ish’, so laypersons like us will learn how big deals are cracked, what professional rivalries can lead to and the sleeping around (or not) that comes along with it. It is in this world that Prachi and Drona collide and learn to lean on each other, trust and then eventually fall in love. Brand consultant, Kartik Kompella, who has worked in advertising for several years, tells us more about his protagonists and how he wrote their story.
Was it important to be on a safe footing for your first novel and that’s why you chose to set it in the world of advertising, which you are familiar with?
My first novel was a noir thriller which I never showed to a publisher. It was a long novel and the genre was tough. It took a lot out of me and I was exhausted and depressed when it was done. I knew in its current unedited form it wasn’t good enough and I was in no mood to edit it.
I wanted to write something that was easy and fun. I knew I could do something fast paced and slick set in advertising. I loved writing A Pitch For Love, the setting was familiar and it didn’t take much to make it authentic. The tone of conversation was that which I used with my friends, so I felt at home. With the ambience and conversation coming naturally, all I needed was a plot. When I was writing, I never could see more than a chapter or two ahead, so I was discovering the story as I was writing but I guess it turned out well!
How was it working under female bosses? Did you borrow some of their characteristics for Prachi and Janaki?
I’ve hardly worked with female bosses. I’ve had more issues with people’s personalities more than their gender. I’ve never been comfortable with very aggressive male or female bosses or even clients. In advertising, there are always tight deadlines and I was fine with those but I think I operated with a lot more creativity and freedom when I didn’t feel the pressure of individuals bearing down on me.
I didn’t get any of Prachi’s characteristics from my bosses but from various women I know. I drew on different characteristics from different friends of mine and amalgamated them into one great lady boss.
Where did you meet Drona? Did he give you any trouble while forming his character? He is a complex guy.
Drona is someone who is partly me and partly who I’d like to be and so I found him easy to form. The lightness that he has is very similar to characters from P G Wodehouse and his way of talking, in many ways similar to me, when I’m talking with friends.
Drona’s character is complex but was not tough for me to render because I could relate to him a lot. Prachi’s character in comparison was tougher because when you are making up a person, you need to make sure you are being realistic. Her character was a little flatter and more predictable because I was very conscious that she was outside my comfort zone, so I played safe.
The Leapfrog company is something that sticks to stereotypes associated with advertising world. You could have broken those. But you didn’t. Why?
You’re right, the Leapfrog that I depicted was based on stereotypes. This worked in three ways — it was a comfort zone for me, it lends itself to more interesting characters and it feeds into an existing reader mindset without challenging it.
Over my 20 years in advertising, I don’t think the stereotype has changed much, I think the stereotype attracts those kind of people to the industry but they are struggling in an increasingly sanitised corporate atmosphere. Let’s say I borrowed more from my early days than my later days in advertising.
What’s your next book going to be?
My next book is a cricket novel. I’m also planning to edit my noir thriller. I think it’s a really good book which back then, I just didn’t know how to edit. My experience with A Pitch For Love and the first draft of the cricket novel has improved my writing and editing abilities and I think I can create something special with the noir.
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