Monday, 12 June 2017 | Aakriti Narang

Nelofar Currimbhoy shares with us her inspirations, hopes and future plans for her second novel titled Eyes of the Healer. By Aakriti Narang

Being the daughter of a woman, who has been the pioneer in the herbal cosmetic industry and has been a subject of business studies at Harvard, people expected Nelofar Currimbhoy to follow her inheritance. Daughter of Shahnaz Husain, she has added more products to her international portfolio, but apart from excavating ancient Ayurvedic formulations to be marketed to the world, she is also a writer. And as with all writers, she drew from her own reservoir of immediate memories for her debut, which was a biography on Shahnaz Hussain. She has now released her second novel titled Eyes of the Healer.

Talking about her new book, she says, Its hard to judge your own piece of work. I get so deeply involved with my writing that its hard to trust my own perspective. This book is for readers who are experimental in their reading habits. It portrays the spiritual journey of Govinda, a young man who aspires to reach a higher level of consciousness and after his tapasya receives the gift of healing. Yet, when he is at the epitome of godliness, he is struck by the love of a woman and loses his powers. So, this is also an intense love story that redefines the fruition of the man-woman relationship. It shows the struggle between passion and commitment.

In response to well-known writer Ashwin Sanghis comment about Eyes of the Healer as being woven like fine tapestry, Currimbhoy feels it is the best compliment her work can get. Speaking of what inspired her to write the novel, Currimbhoy tells us, We all speak of inspirational writing, Eyes of the Healer is truly an inspired piece of work for me. I did not write it with the idea of publishing it so it has both purity and innocence. Nothing held me back and there were no considerations other than that of my own creative fulfilment. I have been inspired by the Buddhist philosophy of peace and harmony. Perhaps my close association with The Dalai Lamas sister Jetsun Pema and my work with the Tibetan community could have been an influence.

Identification with the characters portrayed in any narrative is one way in which readers connect to the storyline. Whatever technique the author chooses to employ, some literary device should be used. Otherwise the readers interest will not be maintained. Likewise, Currimbhoy believes that a contemporary audience will be able to relate to Govinda, the protagonists internal struggle. She says, Human emotions are eternal and so are human situations. There was love when Omar Khayyam wrote the Rubaiyat poems and there is love today. We were seeking then and we are still searching for answers today. Is there a God? Is there an energy that we can reach? I believe that todays audience is less religious and more spiritual than ever. The meditative quality and purity of a work like my book with its ability to explore the possibilities of the conscious mind and its gamut of human emotions will connect with anyone who has lived through lifes challenges. Govinda is a rebellious young man who leaves his home to find a greater purpose to life. Any young man choosing his bliss could relate to him.

How many of us find time to reflect upon the actions we did and the words we said on a particular day? Are we even able to complete all that is required of us in the time that is available? Its tough. Imagine what it must be like to seclude yourself for writing despite running renowned companies. On balancing writing with work, Nelofar admits Its very limiting and detrimental to any company for its leaders to seclude themselves in the limited work of running their business. My view of business is that it has to be crafted like a piece of art. The wider my vision, the more I will achieve for my company. As for schedules and appointments, I feel that when you are passionate about something, you will make it happen. I do give up a lot of socialising and dashing around town after work for the sake of writing. Having a book published can be compared to a little atom that soon enough appears at a book shelf in a library somewhere and the sense of achievement this thought brings with it allows me to give up all the glitterati events in the world.

There is a marked difference between writing a biography and a fictional work. Currimbhoy doesnt feel the same way. Flame (Husains biography) was a very personal experience; it flowed freely without the burden of creating a structure or storyline. The story was pre-written by my mother and somewhere the story of her life merged with mine. I saw her in wonder as a child and then worked with her through every process of the evolution of the company. I remember filling the first jars of creams and sticking labels on them. So Flame was not just what I saw but what I experienced too. One of my favourite lines from the book is Let me walk you through the first salon, while the paint still smelt fresh. Honestly, I was deeply passionate about both works. So I do see a similarity in the way I approached them; they both evolved freely and with very little effort and with a lot of commitment and passion for the writing.

All this writing was done with the backdrop of Currimbhoys passion for beauty. Rather than her becoming interested in beauty, I think beauty became interested in me. Indeed my mother involved me in her work from the time I was still in faded jeans. I got married at 19 and lived four houses away from the first salon for many years. It was indeed my mothers destiny which was so strong and enigmatic that it flowed through my life too. So now I hold and protect the future with all my heart and work long hours at the company. What would I want my epitaph to say is She came and she stayed in her living words, shares Currimbhoy.

As for the future, she is looking forward to staging the narrative as a play. The book launch in May had Kabir Bedi reading some of his favourite lines and Currimbhoy used the opportunity to create a dance sequence with two chapters read out with music. Currimbhoy says she would love to take it to an international audience. At present, it is being read by a theatre producer of a show in New York and I am hoping it finds a path that will take it to a larger audience.

More here:

Search for spirituality - Daily Pioneer