The unbreakable bond between mother and daughter

Gauging the need for women folk to address and probably re-access familial relationships with each other; famed screenplay writer cum author, Gajra Kottary’s upcoming read, Girls Don’t Cry, hopes to hit the nail right on its head. Having grown up in what she refers to as a ‘dysfunctional’ family, her book parses the lives of women from three generations hailing from a middle-class household and the choices they make to survive a man’s world. In an exclusive chat with the author, she tells us more...

Revealing how the idea sprouted out of an innate desire to tell a tale, Gajra shares, “I penned down a short stories collection way back in the ’90s. While the tale was published, I always had this nagging feeling about how I didn’t do justice to the story. That’s when I realised I should take the plunge to express myself better through this book.”

The 280-pager book essays around a daughter rejecting her mother, only to rediscover her as she becomes her own woman after hitting troubled waters. Despite there being a significant difference in the way women led their lives decades go, Gajra opines that there’s still a long way to go. “I’ve always felt that as we (women) are grappling with so much — in terms of whether it is about having an identity outside, personal fulfillment or a happy family. Or rather, if we can have it all?”

Hinting at how her growing up years were fraught with challenges, Gajra adds, “I grew up in Delhi in the ’70s. Fortunately for me, I shared a healthy relationship with my mother. She’s been a working woman all her life, who made huge sacrifices to give my sister and I the best of education. However, it was a strained relationship with my older sister (who’s a decade older), which egged me on to dive deeper. I think, a lot of women don’t share a great rapport with their female relations.”

While the book touches upon some of the most complex woman-to-woman relationships, the author believes it’s an insightful read for men too. “Anyone between the age group of 20-75 should give this a read! I’d love for men to read this as well, as it’s an insightful take into some of the least discussed topics. I’m excited to see how this pans out,” she concludes.