Richa Lakhera is an award-winning TV Journalist and has worked as a Deputy Editor & Senior Correspondent at NDTV 24x7, and NDTV India for over a decade. She is also a bestselling author, having delivered novels including Hungry Gods, Item Girl, Garbage Beat, and the forthcoming A History of Violence. Just recently, she announced the launch of her latest novel ‘CONTAMINATION’ - a Militia Fiction and Horror sub-genre with a Female Combat Hero. The book is published by Om Books International and has already received accolades from across the country.
Here, Richa Lakhera talks all about her latest release ‘Contamination’, and her transition from journalist to an author, her writing process, inspiration, and more!
The concept, setting, and fantasy behind Contamination are unique. What drove you to combine militia fiction and horror?
In three words - Grenades, Guns, and Ghosts. I think Militia Horror as a subgenre fronted by a Female combatant is quite under-utilized, especially in India. Combats, featured in the horror genre, are something that has always interested me. When we have seen militia even in horror films they are simply glimpsed in the background as disposable shirts for various monsters to tear apart but in Contamination, soldiers take center stage. Having said that, Wars are the bigger horror story, not ghosts.
How is this book different from your earlier best sellers?
My first book Garbage Beat (Harper Collins) is about the challenges of working in a modern News channel. Item Girl (Rupa Publications) is about the exploitation of women in the film industry. Hungry Gods (Rupa Publications) is a story of greed and exploitation by corporates and brand ambassadors. My next novel ‘A History of Violence' is a combination of military thriller and political drama. Contamination, in that sense, was a challenge. It is the story of people traumatized by war, torn apart by greed, and tormented by ghouls.
How much of an impact did your role as a journalist have on your writing career?
Before you write anything of consequence, you must be able to observe. And journalists are trained to observe. As journalists, we deal with stories day in and day out. I believe it is a natural progression from being a journalist to a writer. Whether one is a journalist, writer, screenwriter, or novelist, it all boils down to the fact that one is passionate about telling a story.
Tell us a little about your foundational influences in your journey of being an author. Growing up as children, we are natural-born storytellers; perhaps also because a child learns that it is easier, to tell the truth in the form of a story, and to spin believable lies. Since my mother passed away when I was very young, books were my closest friends, philosophers, and guides. I got a hold of literally everything I could lay my hands on. Fiction, Non-fiction, Picture books, Poetry books - you name it. I would devour my books. Looking back, I think these stories helped me find a resolution to many issues earlier in my life, and in a less messy fashion.
What inspired your latest book - Contamination?
The idea of pitting supernatural powers against soldiers with modern weapons fascinated me. The bullets fly grenades explode body count rises right from the beginning, there is the paranoia of constant war, surviving on low ammo and supplies, and then facing supernatural creatures. From being hunted by them to hunting with them takes our hero Amba to the very edge of being a human. Having said that, storytellers have always written about good vs evil battles. We read about them in books like the Amar Chitra Kathas and the epic wars between the Veer and the Asuras. Both parties could assume any avatar, both parties had this huge armory of Astras. Some of them could take any form, some were cursed, some had gifts, some had bad Karma, and some were in their nth birth! The stories were fantastic but were relatable because they were rooted in real, authentic emotions.
What helped you come up with the ‘Map of Hori’? How does the map help in the reading experience?
The Map of Hori is my way of paying homage to what I think is the mother of all fantasy maps. Tolkien's Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings map practically invented all the fantasy map cliches. It’s a great way to help readers orient themselves in the fantasy world. I think maps hugely influence how readers imagine the narrative when your plots are playing out in imagined fictional places, gives them a sense of perspective.
Any tips for aspiring authors who want to get published?
Just be yourself no matter what any societal framework or archetype or loud voice tells you what you should be. Be yourself when you write, and when you create - your complete, sometimes weird, sometimes awesome, but always best and true self. Be you. You're so much greater than any archetype.
You can get your copy of Richa Lakhera’s Contamination at: https://amzn.to/3TN27Xy