Does Radha Thomas really have Men on her Mind?

On 8 September 2013, I went to attend the book discussion of ‘Men on my mind’ by Radha Thomas at Urban Solace, Ulsoor. This was my second visit to this charming cafe that clearly lives up to its name. I’d been here earlier for the book discussion of “Days of Gold and Sepia’ and had the opportunity to interact with the author Yasmeen Premji then.

This time, I was even more excited ‘coz the genre ‘chick lit’ (that ‘Men on my mind’ falls into) is really close to my heart. As I firmly believe, the next best thing to sitting with a really close girlfriend and having a chat is reading a good chick lit novel. They fulfil the same need that lies at the heart and soul of every girl—the need for a BFF.

And reading ‘Men on my mind’ was a fun ride ‘coz every line made me want to laugh out loud and nod knowingly at the author even before I’d met her. The tone is wickedly funny and the book is light, breezy, hilarious, and fun.

Radha Thomas has led a rich life replete with unique experiences and has savoured a slice of different cultures across the globe. While she admits that some of the characters in her book may have been loosely based on the different men she’s come across during her travels, she is quick to add that none of these men seem to have realized that fact. She clarifies that the book is based on fantasy and the use of memories and incidents to tell a tale.

When asked “Do you believe that women always have men on their mind”? , she wisely answered:
“Well, that depends on your age. At some times in life, men matter more than at other times. When you are a little girl, they matter all the time.”

The idea for this book germinated when she was writing a column called ‘Between the sexes’ for The Bangalore Monthly to indulge in a bit of good-natured male bashing. Once she had written 10-20 pieces, she spoke to someone in Rupa publications and was told that rather than string together a series of columns, she would do well to write a book from scratch. Talking about the writing process, Radha says once she started writing, it all just flowed out.

Something you might not know—Radha planned to include a chapter on penis sizes in the book, but did not do it since she received feedback from the editor that it might be considered insensitive.

She had also planned to call the book ‘What women are really thinking of when they have sex’ before settling on ‘Men on my mind’.

‘Men on my mind’ is the first part of a trilogy commissioned by Rupa publications and Book 2 is on its way! Talking about Book 2(which is yet to be named) Radha says “I like it better ‘coz it just flew out of me. I took just a few months to write it. I sometimes had to grab slices of time between dinner and bedtime to write.”…. “I think the book’s funnier. The protagonist is more mature. At the age of 30-35, she is more real.”

Who are your favorite chick lit authors?
I’ve never really read chick lit and wasn’t aware it was a genre until my book was classified so. I think men should read this book. It’s not just for ‘chicks’!

Who are your favourite authors/literary influences?
I went through that teenage phase of reading Ayn Rand and Dostoevsky. I really like murder mysteries . Leon Uris is a great airplane read. William Safire and P.J. O’Rourke are great writers who play with words.

Meeting Radha was like a welcome breath of fresh air, and reading her book leaves you with the same feeling!