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Name: Gourav Mohanty. Gourav is a Sanskrit word which means pride and honour. My parents named me so because clearly, they thought being born a Leo wouldn’t make me narcissistic and vain enough to get me sorted into Slytherin.

Currently: My book Sons of Darkness has recently been published (review on page 24). Imagine a world where the Machiavellian optimism of A Game of Thrones meets the sunny sibling-hood of Succession. Now spread this over an ancient Indian landscape rife with a magic system built on millennia-old concepts of mandalas, yoga and chakras. This is what you get when you open Sons of Darkness: a grim-dark reimagination of the world’s longest epic poem: The Mahabharata. A tale that would read like a Bollywood movie directed by Rajamouli whose sets were designed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and whose dialogues were written by Anurag Kashyap.

Favourite colour: Obsidian laced with gold flecks (pretentious, I know, but oh, well).  

Favourite outfit: Kurta – the easiest way to feel like a Mughal prince without sweating like one. My friends think I should pick my namesake, Gaurav Gupta, as my favourite designer. I hope to be able to afford him someday.  

Favourite Bollywood star: My heart’s a battlefield between Irrfan Khan’s depth and Akshaye Khanna’s charm. But who am I kidding? The crown goes to SRK, because we all secretly want to bask under that signature arm stretch. 

Favourite Hollywood stars: Henry Cavill (I want to play board games with him) and Anne Hathaway (I want to party with her).

Favourite movies: If I had a rupee for every time I’ve rewatched Swades or Dil Chahta Hai, I’d probably be able to afford a wardrobe full of Gaurav Gupta outfits. f

Favourite singers: KK and Shaan (or any song that has Emraan Hashmi in it) because my playlist has a thing for nostalgia.

Favourite song: Hum dum suniyo re (Saathiya), the anthem for every wanderer’s soul (*current favourite, subject to change owing to weather, heartbreak, gym motivation, India winning an award, etc).   

Favourite TV shows: Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (Indian) and House of Dragon (HBO). 

Favourite ice cream flavour: I don’t eat ice cream. I know, I know. Blasphemy. I don’t even like chocolate. But before you gasp, I make up for it in jalebi rabdis and rasgullas (OG Odisha one).

Favourite cuisines: Junk food (’cause you got the one life). Mughlai comes a close second.  

Favourite restaurant: Karim’s, Chandni Chowk. (May I recommend ordering mutton curry with sheermal roti and barra kebab).  

Favourite sports: Cricket and F1 because nothing says excitement like watching people chase a small ball or drive in circles.  

Favourite sportspersons: Virat Kohli (the cricket equivalent of Vegeta) and Lewis Hamilton (the F1 equivalent of Goku). 

Favourite authors: George R R Martin (ASOIAF – because he is Dronacharya/Master Yoda when it comes to my writing journey, and PG Wodehouse – because he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for making people laugh across generations and borders.

Favourite activities: Passionate conversations with friends. Playing Ludo with family. Reviewing the day to find it has been rather productive.   

I hang out: At bookstores and bars. Can’t wait to visit a bookstore that is a bar.  

I’m freaked out by: Cats. I relate to Imhotep from The Mummy. I broke a table once at a party because I jumped on it when I saw a cat under my chair. Not my sexiest moment. 

I need: A teleporter to travel the world (visa sucks) or a timeturner to write books simultaneously (like the one Hermione Granger had).

I want to be: Remembered.

My role models: Achilles (for choosing immortality despite knowing it came after death) and Oscar Wilde (for daring to stare at the stars even while lying in the gutter).   

Tips to save the planet: Zombie apocalypse.

In a perfect world: We could surrender to Temptation without incurring the justice of Sin.

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