06 November,2009 09:23 AM IST | | Soumya Mukerji
FYI chatted up with Raksha Bharadia, the author of the Indian edition of the stirring Chicken Soup series, who has recently launched Chicken Soup for the Indian Teenage Soul
You have two teenage daughters. How difficult is it to deal with this tricky time in their lives?
My younger one, Sanaya is a tween (preteen) and Aishwarya is a teen, and it is not an easy task. At times, I lose perspective, patience andu00a0confidence in Aishwarya and myself. Despite the information available and copious advice from parents of ex-teens, I end up screaming, accusing and threatening every emotion I had sworn to never resort to. I guess once you have parented a teen you can never die of a heart attack!
How did you go about compiling the stories?
I sent invites over emails, visited blogs, and used social networking sites to access teens. I received more than 500 stories and zeroed in on 101. I further worked on the selected stories via correspondence with
contributing authors to get clarity and add more nuances.
Author Raksha Bharadia
Do you think teens today are far more mature than in your times?
The exposure has made them far more mature, informed and savvy than we were at their age. I sensed a lot more "independence" and
chutzpah in them to give everything a shot, and a lot more rebellion too.u00a0
Are teens today struggling with similar issues like your generation?
Yes, teens are battling with the very issues we had regarding self-esteem, academic pressure, body image, concerns of friendships, understanding themselves vis-a-vis the world. What's different is the obsession to "look good", which has led them to anorexia and unhealthy diets. The pressure of performance and expectations from their parents has driven them to breaking points, and even resort to drugs.
Are they a confused lot?
They are not just confused but also struggling to find themselves in this fast-paced, highly competitive world. They're constantly shuttling between their choices, decisions and dreams.
Any celeb pieces you landed?
We have stories from authors Shobha De and Sunil Robert,u00a0 adman Prahlad Kakar, Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and musician Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
Was the editing a major task, considering kids don't really know their grammar well?
Well, given the fact that most kids blog today, I actually did get good content. I had to only work on continuity and flow of the narrative.
When you pit teens in the West against their Indian counterparts, are they similar or different?
My exposure of the teens in the West is limited to the book Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, apart from a few journals I have read. Our teens are more grounded and aware of the huge investments (in terms of time and money) that their parents have made. On the flipside, we are extremely judgmental.
Is this book more to entertain, heal, create awareness, or gain better understanding of the teens and their world?
This book is to heal and gain a better understanding of "yourself" more than the world! Teenage Soul stories helped me understand the teenage mind and psyche. Now, when my teenager daughter and I have an argument, we do not walk out on each other in frustration. That's a huge victory!
Chicken Soup for the Indian Teenage Soul by Westland.
Price: Rs 295
Available at all leading bookstores.
