Anuja Chauhan, Author & Screenwriter – Being ‘Bedhadak’ & Staying Curious

Best known for her romantic novels filled with wit and sass, author and screenwriter Anuja Chauhan is as brilliant, vivacious and entertaining in-person as the characters she spins out. Her first book, The Zoya Factor, was a bestseller and an instant success across the country, and since then, she’s written five more bestsellers making her one of India’s most successful English-language authors.

Her novels have been adapted for film and television, and before becoming a full-time writer, Chauhan was a successful advertising professional who coined iconic taglines like “Yeh Dil Maange More!", "Mera Number Kab Aayega","Nothing official about it" and” Oye Bubbly".

A big aficionado of whodunits, during the pandemic, the 52-year-old decided to write a murder mystery, ‘Club You To Death’ set in the fictional world of the Delhi Turf Club and follows the lives of ex-lovers Bambi Todi and Akash ‘Kashi’ Dogra as they help ACP Bhavani Singh crack a murder case that takes place within the club premises. Future plans include a screenplay, a movie adaptation of Club You To Death does, and ACP Bhawani Singh will have a second outing as well.

The author talks to Her Circle about her latest work, exploring a new genre, and dealing with sexism.