Ever heard of a romcom where romance is just incidental? That’s how author Harini Srinivasan described her latest fiction book, The Ex Factor, which was recently launched at Om Book Shop, Gurugram, Haryana.
The “problems” in the rather comfortable life of her protagonist, Oindrilla Roy, are bound to be relatable for many urban Indian millennials — home (grumpy parents, runaway cook, troublesome pets) encroaches on work (fuzzy job profile, demanding boss, gossipy colleagues) and vice-versa. Chaos flares up further for ‘Oinks’ when her best friend comes out, her cousin elopes and her lifelong crush resurfaces, all the while she’s on a business trip sprinting from Delhi to Kolkata to Shillong. “The book is light, fun and frothy — in the same league as Bridget Jones’s Diary but without the quest for a man. It’s what goes through Oinks’ mind as she goes through life that forms the core of the narrative,” explained Srinivasan, who self-admittedly has little patience for mushy love stories.
Well, The Ex Factor, published by Om Books International, does deliver on comedy on two counts: the perceptively depicted (mis)adventures of urban living that populate its pages and the author’s somewhat hyperbolic writing style that renders Oindrilla’s inner monologues bursting with copious anxiety at the slightest inconvenience. As the character mentally yells various four-letter words at every turn, you are compelled to wonder with amusement if 25-year-olds really are as high-strung as that.
Love and Humour in 2023
'The Ex Factor' author Harini Srinivasan at the book launch
For Srinivasan, writing a romantic comedy proved to be a stress buster that allowed her to simultaneously pursue more laborious literary undertakings such as authoring her second historical detective fiction novel—The Pataliputra Murders is slated for release this year while The Curse of Anuganga was published in 2019. “The writing process behind such books is very research-intensive as careful attention needs to be paid to matters of history, historicity and historiography,” she said. However, that is not to say that there were no challenges involved in writing about love and humour in contemporary times.
Although meant to entertain above all else, The Ex Factor delves into many complex subjects, such as unrequited love, academic pressure, same-sex relationships, generational differences, romance scams and more, through the play of diverse perspectives of characters across age groups as they form a microcosm of metropolitan India. Operating in the romcom genre, how does one address topical socio-political issues in a light-hearted vein without making light of the nuances involved in progressive discourses around them? “Of course, I read up a lot to educate myself on these subjects and try to ensure that my own biases don’t seep into the narratorial voice,” explained the author.
The book cover
She continued, “But, ultimately, fostering sensitivity is a more organic process for a writer — it comes through empathising with your characters even when you don’t directly identify with them.” The aspiration to unlearn prejudices is noble but not bereft of occasional slips, some more humbling than others. While detailing the experience of crafting her characters, particularly the scatterbrained protagonist, Srinivasan had her own Oinks moment (read foot in the mouth) at the book launch when she inadvertently called to attention the “stereotypical Bengali-ness” of the novel’s Roy family, including a surreal observation on “orgasmic rosogollas”. Her intelligent audience was quick to react, forgoing taking offense in favour of the delicious pleasure of inquiring into her beliefs. “I plead the Fifth,” she responded, blushing and chuckling, as she attempted to diffuse the excitement.
(L-R) Author Kanchana Banerjee and Om Books International (OBI) editor-in-chief Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri with 'The Ex Factor' author Harini Srinivasan
There are some other things too that make Srinivasan turn red — writing sex scenes, for instance. With physical intimacy becoming a major mainstay of romcoms (both films and novels) in recent times, art appears to be mirroring local and global cultural shifts towards the uninhibited expression of human sexuality that was only propelled by the physical touch-starved pandemic years. The humongous success of Netflix’s Bridgerton (2020) is a case in point. The Ex Factor, on the other hand, contains all but one kiss — right at the end, in the last sentence before the epilogue. “I am not prudish about sex per se, but writing about it is tricky. Coming from my pen, it either sounds hilarious or pornographic. It needs to be done right to make for enjoyable reading. Some initial feedback did flag concerns that with the novel not being steamy enough, it may not be adequately realistic to those in their mid-twenties today,” conceded Srinivasan. But she hopes that readers can appreciate a broader understanding of intimacy; it isn’t sex but the witty banter and warm friendship between Oinks and her male love interest that drives their chemistry.
Peripheral as romance may be to Srinivasan’s novel, its trappings had to be nailed to a T to see the book through the publishing process. “Pitching the manuscript was interesting because I didn’t want to slot it under ‘chicklit’—what with the derogatory connotations of the term for women readers and writers—or even ‘romcom’. For me, the book was all about this spunky protagonist,” she said, underlining her preference for the usage of the phrase ‘slice of life’ that is increasingly being embraced by contemporary Indian novelists for such writing. That said, she was advised to change the title to clearly suggest a romantic interest and rework the ending twice to have the lead couple profess their love for each other in no other words than “I love you”.
'The Ex Factor' author Harini Srinivasan in conversation with author Anjali Kirpalani
When all is said and done, The Ex Factor has entered bookstores at an opportune time. Those who once relished romcom classics such as My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) and The Holiday (2006) as well as best-selling books by the likes of Helen Fielding had lately been experiencing a lull in the unabashed celebration of vivacious female-centric narratives. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) has given audiences much hope. Here’s hoping Srinivasan’s novel will join the club.
— Soumya Duggal is Editor, Om Books International
