For a die-hard Bollywood buff who has watched him entertain in many films, he needs no introduction. He is not just a popular face and name but also a seasoned artist, writer, director, and a renowned film, television and stage actor, Jayant Kripalani. Now he is all set to entertain us with an upcoming novel - Cantilevered Tales, published by Readomania. A novel that, with its riot of situations and characters, seems to be as entertaining as any film. So imagine my reaction when I got the opportunity to host him. And what's more, here he is sharing the story of how and why he turned an author. Over to him to answer the big question -

Why Jayant Kripalani wrote this book?

Every time we, as feminists, talk about women rights, gender equality, and other topics along these lines, we encounter many people who are equally vocal in opposing our ideas with views steeped in ignorance, myopic thinking, and baseless prejudices. I have been in many situations where I bow out of a disagreement in order to save a relationship, which often leads the person on the other end (usually a man) to mistakenly believe he has won the argument. Most times, I haven't bothered to correct them, instead seeking satisfaction in the knowledge that I was a bigger person. Often I secretly chuckle at their folly and take sadistic pleasure in letting them make a fool of themselves.

6 months of living in Agra ten years ago and then a memorable trip last year weren’t as fulfilling and enriching as this particular trip was. A travel review assignment thanks to the IndiaisCalling initiative and HolidayIQ  and I was back in the 'City of Taj' that had first given me the hands-on experience of working in a hotel. Only this time I was looking at it from the other side – as a tourist.