Books and Beyond with Bound

What's it like spending your days in trucks without devices to keep you company and how do you make a book out of that?  Tara and Michelle are joined by Rajat Ubhaykar, the author of Truck de India! Did you know he wrote this book after spending months on the road travelling with ‘truckies’ all over India to get a glimpse into their lives? Rajat talks to us about his experience practically hitchhiking across India without a plan, encountering all sorts of different characters and stories, and everything he learned from his experience. We ask him everything – from what sparked his desire to embark on such an incredible journey to the challenges he faced and what a day on the road was actually like. What did his parents think? Did he ever get bored? How did he deal with the uncertainties and dangers posed by his journey? We explore Rajat’s unique experiences through hilarious anecdotes, insightful observations and fun facts. We talk about powerful topics like privilege, history and art, the Indian truck economy and Rajat’s favourite travel destinations. From his book deal to his editing process, Rajat tells us everything – like the fact that he doesn’t believe in the concept of drafts, how he chose the right beta readers for his book and the inspiration behind his book cover.'Books and Beyond with Bound' is a podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick. Rajat Ubhaykar trained as an electrical engineer at IIT Kanpur and went on to study journalism at the Asian College of Journalism after a stint in management consulting. A recipient of the PoleStar Award in 2016 for his reportage, his work has appeared in publications such as Mint, Outlook Business, Roads & Kingdoms, and Madras Courier. He lives in Mumbai and spends his spare time reviewing books, collecting trivia, and exploring India's archaeological sites. Truck de India is his first book.  You can get your copy of his book here- https://www.amazon.in/Truck-India-Hitchhikers-guide-Hindustan-ebook/dp/B07Y8R2YXYTune in every Wednesday for a new episode.Follow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com/podcast/‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms. 

Lisa defines herself as a writer, not an actress or model.Tara and Michelle are joined by author Lisa Ray, a former model, actress and TV personality. She reveals the dark side of the entertainment industry, especially the rampant stereotyping and typecasting, and talks about her attempts to break free from it. As a victim of labelling, she tells us how her book Close to the Bone was her attempt to seize the narrative and take control of her own life. Lisa spends hours at her writing desk and on this podcast she redefines herself as a writer, not an actress or model. She hasn’t revealed her creative process as a writer on any other platform before! She gets personal about the challenges she’s faced – from societal pressure and trying to find her own identity to battling eating disorders and cancer. On a lighter note, she gushes about her parents’ love story, her ideal travel destinations and her favourite books.'Books and Beyond' is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick.Lisa Ray is an actress, model and TV personality who has modelled for leading Indian brands and starred in award-winning movies like ‘Kasoor’, ‘Water’ and ‘The World Unseen’. Her first book Close to the Bone was published by HarperCollins in 2019. She also runs an Instagram poetry account, has appeared as a columnist on Canada Reads and is currently working on several works spanning different genres.You can get your copy of her book here: https://www.amazon.in/Close-Bone-Lisa-Ray/dp/9353570158Follow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com ‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms. 

How did Manu first discover history? How does he convert hours of dry research material into rich, imaginative and deep stories?In our very first episode, we are joined by Manu Pillai, an author who has published three books before turning 30. He shares hilarious stories from the diaries of Mughal emperors, his experience with Twitter trolls and when he feels most inspired to write.He takes us on a journey through childhood anecdotes and family stories to help us understand the inspiration behind his first book, the reasons for his love of reading and how it has influenced the way he creates his characters. He is completely honest about all things writing – from what he thinks about the publishing industry in India to financial responsibilities as a professional author in India to even how luck and timing were instrumental in his first book being a success!Tune in to hear us gush about the powerful female characters in his book, his goal of making historical fiction more accessible and a few of his current favourite books.'Books and Beyond' is a podcast hosted by Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound. They talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick.Manu S. Pillai is the author of the Sahitya Akademi award-winning The Ivory Throne, Rebel Sultans and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin. Formerly Chief of Staff to Dr. Shashi Tharoor MP, he has worked with the House of Lords and the BBC and writes a weekly column for Mint Lounge. He is an alumnus of Fergusson College, Pune, and is currently enrolled as a PhD candidate at King’s College, London.You can get your copy of his books here:https://www.amazon.in/Books-Manu-S-Pillai/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AManu+S.+PillaiFollow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com ‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms. 

Tara and Michelle have interviewed writers from various genres for Bound’s podcast ‘Books and Beyond’.  But in this episode, they decided to interview each other! Even though they're friends and work together, they learn something new about each other every day! Listen to their interview to find out more about how both of them became avid readers, editors and writers. Find out about their take on publishing, writer's block and being creatives. Did you know?Tara has a Cocker Spaniel named Simba who looks like an angel, but at times behaves like the devil. She’s also had a chick, two rabbits, hamsters and lots of fish. Michelle loves to dance to hip-hop music. She plays music on her JBL speaker and dances away like there’s no tomorrow. She wants to be a trained dancer someday.Follow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com ‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms. 

'Books and Beyond with Bound' is a dream come true for Tara and Michelle because they have always wanted to converse with authors and find out about their creative universe.Through this podcast they got to speak to some of their favourite authors and ask them questions that no one has ever asked. Their love for books and their knowledge of the publishing world shine through their thoughtful questions about the writer's life and creative process.Together, they make a great literary team and you know you want to listen to their conversations! Tara Khandelwal is the founder of Bound. She currently works with Asia’s largest literary agency, Writers’ Side. Michelle D’costa's prose and poetry have been published in over 40 literary journals like Eclectica, Litro UK and more.Tune in every Wednesday to listen to Tara and Michelle converse with India's finest writers.Follow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com/podcast/‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.