All heaven, no hell

Mona

Software-engineer-turned-beauty-queen-turned actor Anmol Sandhu has just added another feather to her cap. She turns a writer with the fiction work Heaven in a Hell. On a sabbatical from her job, Anmol recently wrapped up shooting for her Tamil film Dhayam (dice) and spent the last month giving final touches to her debut novel.

“It’s another of my dream come true,” she merrily chirps, handing out her novel at Whistling Duck-26. Her first, it does pick up instances from her life but there is no beauty pageant here. “But one amongst the seven friends is loosely based on my life,” she opens up.

Now that she is Mrs India Queen of Substance and Mrs East Asia 2015, gearing up for Mrs Earth 2015, and also mother to nine-year-old Mehraab, didn’t picking up the pen present problems? “I would often write in between the shoots in Chennai,” says Anmol, who is already in talks with some producers for turning her debut book into a film.

Does multitasking come naturally to her? “Well, I wouldn’t have accomplished all this had I not had my family to support each and every whim of mine.” In fact, she had her son sit with her as she punched on her laptop, seeing the life of her lead character Ananda pan out. “He would often ask, ‘Mamma, aapki Ananda settle hui ki nahi’?

This novel, Anmol believes is for everyone, “Here is a girl facing sibling issues, her life in school, a mystery that has her trapped and who finally starts a new life with a man only to face mother-in-law issues; so practically anyone from any age-group would find someone relatable in the book,” says Anmol, who labels her book – a mystery, thriller and an ultimate romance — all at the same time. About a 200 pages, the book is priced at Rs 225. And yes, there is more to it. “Though this one ends with Ananda reasonably settled in life; there will be more to her journey,” says our actor-writer who wishes to play the lead if ever a film is made on Heaven in a Hell!

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