Interview with upcoming author, Preneeja Peelukhana

1. Who is the most important person in your life who has helped you to evolve as a person who you are today?

A. Most important? Tough! There is a long list but to narrow it down, I’d say it’s a girl, very stubborn, strong and demanding. She’s impulsive and carefree. She always pushed me into situations which I preferred to avoid. She is this “just jump into the water and you’ll learn to swim, if you start drowning, then I’m there!” kind of girl. So, she plays a major role in my life for making me learn the best lessons. She had been my only constant friend, mentor, parent figure, healer and the only person I call as my competition. I call her my soulmate. She is an angel just like her name ‘Pari’. She made me watch ‘Finding Dory’ many a times to fix ‘just keep swimming’ in my mind. I’ve had tough time dealing with her but it’s like I feel alive and happy because of her.

2. How do you define your journey from the failures to succession?

A. In a line, it’s “Fragile — Handle with care” to “Unbreakable & Toughened”. Being broken into a million pieces many a times and not being able to gather the scattered pieces of myself, I learnt to pick up one or two pieces at a time and made a whole of myself in instalments. An inspiration towards success had been the little things of life like a stopped clock which shows the right time twice a day even if it isn’t working, the day after night, blossoms after dryness and little joys which meant huge in sorrows. An inclination towards adventures and an ‘I don’t wanna quit’ attitude helped me stay focused on finding the solutions every time life & people in it challenged me.

3. What projects are you currently working on, and which project can we see soon?

A. Currently, the project I’m working on is a compilation of my poems, each revealing a short story about various experiences I’ve had and simultaneously I’m scripting up the stories which are based on common situations but have been life changing for me. They are based on the importance of perspective and what inputs one can fetch out of those common day to day situations of life. Fishing the opportunities from the unexpected twists & turns and using them as a ladder to reach the desired end, making self better is what I’ve learnt and is what I implement.

4. As an upcoming author, you will surely make a remarkable presence in the literary world but according to you, which is the book that is very close to your heart and why?

A. I’ve not been into reading until I lost a dare to one of my juniors and was forced to read ‘Three Mistakes of My Life’ by Chetan Bhagat. It was only then I realised I have a reader in me, a curious reader. This realization made me buy the first ever book (other than text books) titled ‘Please, Mom! It’s My Life’ authored by Jaideep Singh Chadha. The reason behind buying that book was boredom and the fight I had with my mom before leaving home. I was at an airport and entered the book store to kill some time and found this book. I’d say, it’s the title that attracted me and I thought I’ll get a good reason to prove my point right to my mom about living my life on my terms. The content of the book was different altogether. Though it didn’t give me any such point, It helped me grow, the best guide in my late teens.

5. Being a student in this cut throat competition? How do you view yourself as a successful competitor for others?

A. Frankly, I don’t believing in competing with anyone. I only compete with myself in order to make the outputs better than my best. I love to challenge my efforts and skills to fine-tune them and frequent reality checks help. I only give my best in both professional and personal fronts not really thinking about how it’s received. I’ve never tried to look, do, say or be better than anyone but me by just being or doing at least a little better than the previous one.

6. Tell us about your dream project?

A. My dream project as a writer would be my uncensored biography. Unaware of my future but these first twenty six years are not less than any combination of suspense, thriller, romance, comedy, horror, action and every genre put together (hype unintended). I dream it to be the one stop guide book for all the genders and age groups by bringing out the deepest and the most critical aspects of emotions, behaviour and life.

7. What are your strategies planned to make your profile stand apart from the other authors?

A. Strategies? Oh! None. Just being myself completely. Writing is more like a therapy to me, a way to express my soul like many other writers. What I write is the reflection of my inner self, those who feel similar, connect! I’m a believer of such connections and I’m sure I form some unexplainably beautiful connections through my writings.

8. What is your opinion on the present educational system, and how can we help to upgrade our system for the benefit of the future generation.

A. Personally I feel that people have forgotten the difference between being a literate and being educated. The sacredness and purpose of education seems to be diluting to the materialistic innings than gaining wisdom through learnings. No complaints against the education system as it always focused on betterment of students and development of nation. It’s a change to be brought in society. It is about the change to be brought in students and their parents about how education has to be viewed and showing them the beauty and importance of education not in terms of scores, ranks and salary drawn.

9. Last but not the least, where do you visualize yourself in the next two decades and what contribution do you want to do for the betterment of the society as a responsible citizen?

A. Responsible citizen is a heavy term. In next two decades, I visualize myself reaching the shore swimming across the ocean of stereotypes and compelled norms. I dream about having a little world for myself where I can home and educate the children specially the homeless and those who are abstained from the society and needs they deserve like anyone else. To give them a family while I educate them about the morals, knowledge and wisdom they need other than the core academics. Bringing out the best from what world thinks is waste is my aim.