Radhika Agrawal Interview
Romance is often dismissed as fluff, but to me it’s one of the most emotionally intelligent genres we have.
Q. What inspired the concept behind Red Flags and Rishtas?
I actually started writing this book when I had just turned 25, which is that age when in India your parents start dropping not-so-subtle hints about marriage. Around me, I saw my friends navigating it in completely different ways. Some of them were swiping on dating apps, some were on matrimonial websites, and there were also people who were even trying both at once. And to me that felt like such a uniquely Indian moment worth capturing.
Q. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing your debut novel?
First and foremost, procrastination. I'm someone who needs external motivation and in the absence of a boss, deadlines, and structure, it became very difficult to sit down and write everyday. I would find myself giving myself way more leeway than I'd have ever been allowed in a job. Another major challenge was trying to figure out how to structure the novel. As a debut author, I knew little about the craft and was mostly writing intuitively.
Q. Romance is often underestimated. How do you position your novel in the broader literary landscape?
Romance is often dismissed as fluff, but to me it’s one of the most emotionally intelligent genres we have. It asks the big questions: how do we connect, what do we want from love, how do we reconcile who we are with who we’re with? And it does all that while being accessible and joyful. So when I think about the broader literary landscape, I see my book as part of this larger push to give romance the respect it deserves. Because at the end of the day, what could be more universal than love?
Q. How do you balance the humor and heart in Red Flags and Rishtas?
You know, the funniest moments in life often happen right next to the most vulnerable ones. With Red Flags and Rishtas, I used humour as a way to soften the edges of more serious topics. I wanted to let my readers laugh with Ananya even when she’s spiraling, and to make Aadar’s seriousness feel more endearing than heavy or bitter.
Q. Can you walk us through your typical writing routine, any rituals or habits you swear by?
I always joke that I have to almost trick my brain into writing. I often get overwhelmed when I have to write, let's say, a chapter or two. So I start by completing smaller tasks. I tell my brain that I'm only going to write the chapter title, or the first paragraph or page... and by the time I have done those things, I'm in the flow state and the larger task doesn't feel as overwhelming anymore.
Q. Your Instagram presence is strong. How do you decide what to share online versus keep private?
Ah, that's a tough one. I turn to Instagram for promotions, connecting with my readers, sharing milestones, and sometimes a few snippets from my personal life. I would like to be more vulnerable online, but I think I've been holding off on doing that, perhaps subconsciously. For example, you've seen me dancing happily when a celebrity posted about my book on Instagram, but I haven't posted any of the vulnerable moments when I received negative feedback from a reader and broke down.
Q. What’s the funniest or most unexpected response and a meaningful piece of response you’ve gotten from a follower or reader?
This one reader of mine told me that she had to hide Red Flags and Rishtas from her mother because if she saw her reading it, she'd take it as a sign to start looking for a rishta for her. That cracked me up.
When come to the meaningfull one when a reader tell me that my book made her feel seen. I think that's the greatest compliment for an author.
Q. If you could do a crossover coffee date with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
My teenage self would kill me if I didn’t say Michael Moscovitz from The Princess Diaries. I had the biggest crush on him growing up and I'd love to see who he would've become by now.
Q. What advice would you give to aspiring writers who feel pressured by literary expectations?
If you’re choosing to become an author, chances are it’s because you love writing, it’s not exactly the most lucrative career choice. So it would be a real shame to let pressure or expectations take the joy out of it. My advice would be to write the story you’re burning to tell, not the one you think will impress critics or fit into a box.
Bio:
Radhika Agrawal is a lifestyle journalist, romance novelist, and a storyteller at her core. Her love for romance as a genre comes from the innumerable Meg Cabots and Sophie Kinsellas she devoured as a teenager, and it’s heavily influenced by the epic love story of her own parents. She lives, dreams, and writes love stories with a vengeance, and believes that she can help romance get the respect and attention it deserves as a genre.
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