Countless novels are released each year, making it to bookshelves worldwide, many by first-time authors. Understandably, the vast majority are a complete commercial disappointment, while a fortunate few find an audience.
And then, there are those that turn out to be a whopping success and are even taken to the big screen.
Graphic designer and illustrator Bina Nayak, who gained immense popularity with her first novel Starfish Pickle (2021) and its subsequent inspiration for the Hindi film Starfish (2023), is now ready with her second novel, Goagram.
According to Bina, Goagram is the result of various factors that influenced Goa during the Covid pandemic, particularly when the State experienced a mass departure of social media influencers.
As the name suggests, it is based on social media and tells the story of Madhur Chopra, aka ‘Maddie’, an influencer who migrated to Goa during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
As she got deeper into her story, she realised that these influencers were inspired by her generation as they were the ones who first started using social media.
We know that during the lockdown phase, Goa witnessed a huge exodus of non-Goans, which created an uproar and a lot of resentment among the locals. For Bina, this emotion became a starting point to write her novel.
In her new book, Bina mentions the famous Parra Madani road which is now known as Dear Zindagi Road since a few scenes of this movie were shot there.
According to Bina, after the release of the movie Dear Zindagi in 2016, a small number of tourists started visiting that road. "However, during the pandemic, the number of tourists increased significantly. These new tourists, who referred to themselves as Influencers, would come to the road equipped with lights, reflectors, and other tools to conduct elaborate photoshoots for their social media posts and videos," Bina recalls.
She explains that the influencers and tourists would obstruct the road, making it difficult for locals to commute. So, her story commenced with a sense of frustration and anger.
However, as she got deeper into her story, she realised that these influencers were inspired by her generation as they were the ones who first started using social media.
“Today’s influencers are only following their elders. We are all upset because they are exploiting it in ways we hadn’t even imagined. But, we unleashed the monster,” states Bina.
Bina, who is a graphic designer by day, does her writing work at night. She confesses that her financial stability comes from her day job, and that’s why she is not pressurised about writing.
“I write for myself. If I get published, that’s a bonus. I’m not out to prove anything to anybody. This frees me to write exactly as I please,” she asserts.
She maintains that writing is not easy for women writers as there are more demands on a woman’s time.
Since Bina is also an illustrator, both her books are full of illustrations which complement the story.
Goagram, as mentioned earlier, is about an influencer who has made Goa her home.
Many a time, locals argue that these influencers, or ‘outsiders’, have no idea about Goa and look at Goa only as a subject for their social media feeds.
However, through her novels, Bina is trying to present the other side of the story.
She adds, “A common complaint that Goans have against non-Goans is that they don’t learn the language or integrate. That they live in gated communities, and only hang out with their kind.”
“My protagonist, not only learns Konkani, but also gives back to the community in ways that are far superior to what most Goans do. As far as influencers impacting Goa goes, it is both good and bad. Ask any bar owner, and he’ll say he is happy because he can now sell urrak for ₹ 200 per litre, whereas before Covid-19, he could barely make ₹ 20,” she says.
“Who knew about urrak cocktails before? Only Goans, until influencers made them famous all over the country. Maybe we, local consumers, are unhappy with it, because it jacks up the prices for us. Tourism definitely benefits – I’m not in a position to speak statistics or economics. I can only talk from my anecdotal evidence,” elaborates Bina.
Bina, who has been in the field of advertising and media for more than 25 years, maintains that the world of influencers has just begun. However, she is hoping it stabilises in the time to come.
With two novels behind her, Bina already has three more books in different stages of finishing. She maintains that writing is not easy for women writers as there are more demands on a woman’s time.
“Not many women writers can escape to the proverbial ‘cabin in the woods’ to write. But, I can say that I am a master of my time now! My daughter is grown up; I don’t have a husband who makes demands on my time. I can write when I want, cook or eat when I want, or not. And perhaps, that’s the reason why I’m writing freely, and furiously!” she concludes.
Bina Nayak will be in conversation with Mubina Ansari (advertising and media personality) on March 22, 2024 at 5.30 pm at Literati Bookshop & Cafe, Calangute.