Praful Shah has navigated every level of journalism within the Gujarati media landscape and has been penning novels for many years. To date, he has authored 45 novels in four languages. His cinematic contributions include research for two films for India’s ZEE5 streaming service: 2019’s Barot House and Posham Pa.

This interview with the prolific author, conducted in 2023, aims to gain insight on his inspiration, research, future works and more.

Early beginnings and inspiration

Sukanya Basu Mallik: Praful, can you tell us about your early beginnings and what inspired you to pursue journalism and writing?

Praful Shah: I was born in Savarkundla, Gujarat. Fortunately, I still have the telegram my maternal uncle sent to my dad informing him about my birth. Like many children, I have sweet and cherished memories of spending vacations at my maternal uncle’s home. I am from a village called Lathi, known for its young king, Sursihji Takhatsihji Gohil, also known as Kalapi, a top poet in Gujarati literature. I am very proud to be from Lathi.

Today, whatever I am, I owe to my mother, Vimalaben, who was an avid reader. I inherited my reading habit from her, which pushed me towards journalism. Despite belonging to a business community and being a commerce graduate, I chose journalism. Although my parents were shocked, my father, Ramnikbhai, advised my mother not to stop or disturb me. He wanted me to try my luck in journalism.

My journey in journalism began on January 1, 1982, with the evening daily Janmabhoomi and ended in 2024 with Asia’s oldest surviving newspaper, the 202-year-old Mumbai Samachar. In my four-decade-plus career, I handled all responsibilities, from the bottom to the top post. Being an avid reader and observer with curiosity pushed me towards journalism and later book writing.

Apart from my mother, my first editor and well-known Gujarati poet, Harindra Dave; my last editor and friend, Nilesh Dave; very close friend and journalist colleague, Vinit Shukla; Author friend, Aashu Patel; my favorite author, Gunvantrai Acharya; plus my novel’s real characters like Suryakant Bhande Patil, Vipul N. Vaidya, Ketaki Jani, Dinesh Kalva, Gangadhar Katnam etc. contributed in making and bettering Praful Shah. This process is going on. I keep meeting people and continue learning from them. This is a never ending process and I love it. 

Prolific writing career and journalistic duties

Sukanya Basu Mallik: With 45 books across four languages, what drives your passion for writing, and how do you manage such a diverse and prolific output?

Praful Shah: Frankly speaking, I am a very disciplined writer. I think this is a bonus I received from my long time in journalism, where deadlines can’t be missed under any circumstances. I write for two hours daily, mostly in the early morning. I take a tea-breakfast after finishing my writing. After completing every chapter, I write the date. If my pace slows down for any reason, it motivates me to write more and faster.

My mind and eyes are always searching for unique fighters. Real-life characters attract me more. I firmly believe that the world and life have much more to offer than an author can imagine. Along with writing one novel, my mind starts plotting the next.

One can say that I am a workaholic, but I enjoy it a lot. At the same time, I never miss family get-togethers, outings with friends, parties, watching movies-dramas-web series and traveling. My biggest stress buster is my granddaughter, Vinika. This one-and-a-half-year-old is my real boss who can change my schedule, and I love to surrender to her. She is my oxygen; she is my sunshine.

Sukanya Basu Mallik: Which of your books holds the most significance for you, and why?

Praful Shah: First on my list is Drashyam Adrashyam. It was published under this title in Gujarati and Marathi, but it became Father’s Day in English and Hindi. This was my first novel, which I wrote at the age of 56 years. The second is Agnija, published in Gujarati and Hindi. Both these books are about real-life characters and their unimaginable journeys, fights and triumphs. Third on the list is Dadlo in Gujarati and English. It is a fictional thriller. A small, close-to-my-heart book is 101 Sons, also published as So Pura Ne Mathe Ek. It deals with parents’ plight, rights and self-esteem. This novel is inspired by a real incident in a small village in Gujarat.

Research and unusual characters

Sukanya Basu Mallik: Your writing is known for its unique blend of unusual characters and in-depth research. Can you share some insights into your research process?

Praful Shah: Drashyam Adrashyam aka Father’s Day is an emotional thriller. It tells the story of Suryakant Patil, whose 3.5-year-old son was kidnapped. When the police failed to retrieve his son or arrest the kidnapper, Suryakant started his own investigation. After nine months, he successfully nabbed the kidnapper. This success inspired him to help in cracking child kidnapping cases, and he has helped in over 100 cases without charging a penny.

My friend and columnist, Ketaki Jani, was instrumental in my meeting with Suryakantji. Ketaki Jani is the heroine of my novel Agnija. She suffers from an autoimmune disorder called alopecia. Here, the victim loses all the hair. Despite being taunted, traumatized and thrown into depression, she rose like a phoenix, tattooed her full scalp and won national and international beauty pageants.

Writing a novel on real people is tough. You have to sit down with them for days, win their trust, inspire them to talk and get many proofs and documents to support your writing. While depicting their story, you have to be alert not to annoy any third party.

Sukanya Basu Mallik: How do you create such compelling and diverse characters in your stories?

Praful Shah: For my docu-novels like Drashyam Adrashyam aka Father’s Day, which involve many murders, police FIRs and court cases, I had to collect and read a lot of material. It’s a tough task, but hard work pays off. Agnija is another challenging novel to write, as it’s social and shocking, spread across 700-plus pages. It has been successful in both Gujarati and Hindi versions, with the Hindi version reaching nearly five lakhs readership on India’s number one reading app, Matrubharati.

In fiction, I consider Dadlo my best work. It’s about how a young man in a hurry to prove his manliness plans a great robbery without shedding a drop of blood, but circumstances prove him wrong.

Journalism contributions

Sukanya Basu Mallik: After more than four decades in journalism, what are some of your proudest achievements?

Praful Shah: After more than four decades in journalism, I gave up my job at Asia’s oldest newspaper, Mumbai Samachar, but I still write two weekly columns for it: “Cyber Sawadhni” and “Vishwana Vir Yoddha” (“World’s Bravest Warriors”). I also write a column called “Crime Zone” for Gujarati Divya Bhaskar, dealing with real crime stories.

My biggest satisfaction is that my writing is studied by students. Standard 12 students learn a lesson written by me on inspiring woman Deepa Malik in Maharashtra Textbook Bureau’s book Yuvak Bharat. Standard 7 students have a lesson by me on martyr colonel Neelkantan Jaychandran Nayain in Maharashtra Textbook Bureau’s book, Bal Bharati. What else can a journalist cum author wish for?

Sukanya Basu Mallik: How do you choose the topics for your columns, and what do you enjoy most about this work?

Praful Shah: I am fortunate enough to write columns on subjects of my choice. In the Internet era, readers get everything with just a click. So, I try to find topics that need a lot of reading and research and write them in simple, lucid language. Digging out hidden facts and forgotten heroes and heroines from the debris of history excites me a lot. Fortunately, my readers enjoy it as well.

Film and television work

Sukanya Basu Mallik: You’ve also worked on films and television. Can you tell us about your contributions to these media?

Praful Shah: Posham Pa is an award-winning film on women criminals, based on my concept and research, streaming on ZEE5. Similarly, Barot House, an edge-of-the-seat thriller based on my concept and research, is also streaming on ZEE5. Both these web films were released within a week, which is a sort of record.

The White Land focuses on the tragic lives of salt workers in the Gujarat desert; this film has my story and screenplay. Famous singer, music director and actor Himesh Reshammiya is producing Bishnu, a biopic movie on Gorkha soldier Bishnu Prasad Shrestha, based on my research and screenplay. A movie called Father’s Day, starring Emran Hashmi, was announced but had to be shelved due to the Covid-19 lockdown. There are more interesting developments in the pipeline, but it is not ethical to declare them right now.

I have also written a couple of plays, including Ajab Gajab Kasab, the first-ever full-length commercial Gujarati play dealing with an attempt to release dreaded Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Kasab from jail before his hanging, and Ek Patrani Ek Khatpat Rani, a light social play capturing two young couples’ early years. Additionally, I have written many TV serials, including a few episodes of the famous Rajni, starring the late Priya Tendulkar.

Current and future projects

Sukanya Basu Mallik: You are currently working on several exciting projects. Can you share some insights into these upcoming projects?

Praful Shah: At the moment, I am giving the finishing touches to a thriller entirely based in Kachchh, Gujarat. After the success of Kachchh File in Gujarati, the same book is being prepared in English as Cactus Crime. At the same time, Father’s Day in Oriya, Road Doctor in English, Life IMpossible in Marathi, Dear Cuckoo in Hindi, and Carolina Reaper in Hindi are in progress. Additionally, there is a book in the works on forgotten women warriors. Simultaneously, I am working on two more new books and the sequel to my most famous work, Dadlo.

Sukanya Basu Mallik: You are currently working on several exciting projects. Can you share some insights into these upcoming projects?

Praful Shah: My four works are under consideration for movie and web series adaptations. It is premature to divulge the details, but I can say that there are some exciting developments in the pipeline.

Sukanya Basu Mallik: What are your future plans and aspirations for your writing career?

Praful Shah: My future plans are to keep writing more and better until I and my readers enjoy it. I see a lot of potential in my work being converted into visual media. I hope to see more of my stories adapted into films and web series.

Sukanya Basu Mallik: Can you share any advice for aspiring authors and journalists who are just starting out in the industry?

Praful Shah: Young and aspiring writers are lucky to be here when content is considered king. It is now possible to survive and flourish as a writer. If you want to be a writer, do three things: read, read and read. Whatever you want to write, do it without self-doubt. Many authors became great because they accepted and digested rejection. Fortunately, there are now many online and self-publishing platforms available.

Apart from writing good content, think of marketing, too. And please don’t expect success too soon. Keep trying and improving yourself. Neither Rome was built in a day, nor did Praful Shah become a brand overnight. Best wishes to tomorrow’s star writers.

[Lee Thompson-Kolar edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.