Real-life crime excites techie-turned writer Shalini P. Sawkar

Bengaluru: Penchant for writing coupled with love to explore different parts of the world give birth to ideas. Shalini P. Sawkar, 28, left her lucrative career in the software industry to fulfil her passion for writing.

She was recognised as one of the 'Top 100 Debut Authors of India 2018-19' by Criticspace Journals for her book 'The Murder Of Jay Shekhar.'

"I was always inclined to storytelling when I was 10 years old. But it was not until I completed my engineering and worked with a software company that I realized that my true calling was storytelling. Of course, quitting my software job wasn't an easy decision to make. I had my qualms. But I also knew that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life—write stories. If you can find a way to align your passion with your profession, you're going to enjoy the process just as much as the end result," Sawkar says.

Her books, When I Find You and Confessions of an IT Employee were received well by the readers. She is currently working with the filmmaker Saad Khan and also being mentored by him.

"I have a full-time job with FirstAction Studios. It is a great learning experience for me, and I'm truly grateful to Saad Khan for it," she states.

Sawkar loves to write thrillers which deal with realistic crimes against children and women, such as organ trafficking, crimes of passion, and infidelity.

She wants to create complex, devious characters with mysterious pasts that get darker and darker as the plot progresses.

"Therefore, my psychological thrillers deal with realistic issues such as organ trafficking, crimes of passion, and infidelity. Also, my inspiration for a hero/heroine is a commoner who rises to the occasion. And so, my protagonists are unassuming people with a tinge of naivety, quiet confidence, and strength—the kind of people you would come across every day," she tells The Hans India.

Sawkar adds fantasy is a genre she would love to explore in-depth.

"I had written a short story called The Witch of Strawhorn, which was published in an international magazine. But, I don't approach a story solely based on the genre. If an idea excites me, I go ahead with it. I have written thrillers and a romantic comedy. And both are completely different genres," she says. Adoption of racy plots into a web series is a common trend. Sawkar has received applause from book bloggers and readers for her books- When I Find You and Confessions of an IT Employee.

She states that her publishers are looking for the books to be adapted to the screen.

"I really hope it happens. I'm keeping my fingers crossed," she sums up.