Mayank Anand aka Dr Rahul Garewal of Star One’s Dill Mill Gaye is ready to reveal yet another aspect to his personality. Soon, he will be releasing his first book, Love From The Sidelines, which is based on extra-marital relationships.
He says, “I was toying with the idea of love and relationships and hit upon the subject of extra-marital affairs.. it adds the ‘masala’ element to a story, everyone loves to read it. Sweet love stories are common.”
For those who are wondering how this actor was bitten by the writing bug, well, he did a stint in English writing and theatre acting in Chicago before moving to Mumbai a couple of years ago, to pursue a career in acting.
He has a natural flair for chatting up people.. and good conversation never fails to turn him on. That’s one of the qualities he looks for in his dream woman besides spunk, an independent streak and a go-getter attitude. He reveals, “More than being pretty, I should be able to talk to her over a glass of wine. I should be able to relate to her mentally.”
But haven’t we come across enough guys who say this only to be smitten by girls who are the exact opposite? He laughs, “Most women say they want a nice guy but end up falling for someone who’s not so nice. One cannot decide the person one falls for but I’m looking for mental compatibility with a woman rather than physical. One has to look at compatibility at different levels. Physical attraction wears out after a while.”
Coming back to his book, he elaborates, “Love From The Sidelines is an extra-marital affair from the perspective of the other woman. I felt the man’s perspective was very easy.. there’s no challenge involved. The wife’s side of the story has been done to death. The other woman’s point of view sounded interesting. The book is about how a woman handles the fact that she is the ‘other woman’ in an extra-marital affair. She talks about the man from her point of view. It’s a book for women.”
{{/usCountry}}Coming back to his book, he elaborates, “Love From The Sidelines is an extra-marital affair from the perspective of the other woman. I felt the man’s perspective was very easy.. there’s no challenge involved. The wife’s side of the story has been done to death. The other woman’s point of view sounded interesting. The book is about how a woman handles the fact that she is the ‘other woman’ in an extra-marital affair. She talks about the man from her point of view. It’s a book for women.”
{{/usCountry}}It is a sort of diary and includes the woman’s thoughts and feelings. It has conversations she wants to have with her man but holds back because he doesn’t have the time or he doesn’t care.
The book is not a depiction of a real life story but Anand has spoken to a few single women involved in extra-marital affairs. He adds, “I also went through some women’s magazines to understand women. I’ve created a new character modelled on the different women I’ve read about and interacted with.”
Before you conclude that Anand has developed a fair understanding of women, he laughs, “I’d give myself more time for that. But I’m comfortable with women.. so are they.” He has many female friends and has also had his share of relationships. He sums it up with, “But now I’m ready to settle down with my dream woman, may be not marriage but definitely in a steady relationship.”