This resident of DLF City Phase I, Gurgaon, has found his way into the Limca Book of Records for five consecutive years.
Joygopal Podder, 56, and a resident of DLF City Phase I, Gurgaon, has found his way into the Limca Book of Records for five consecutive years since 2012. His claim to fame: He happens to be India’s fastest-published crime fiction author.
Podder already has 18 published books under his belt.
Many of his novels feature Gurgaon, others Delhi. His popular Gurgaon-based novels include Millennium City, Beware of the Night, A Million Seconds Too Late, The Anniversary Killer, Cancer, Vanished, The Inheritance and Dynasty.
Crime fiction happens to be Podder’s forte, and 16 of his books are crime thrillers. Chief Minister’s Mistress, his first political crime thriller published in 2015, happens to be one of his most popular books even now.
A gold medalist in law from the University of Delhi, Podder turned novelist at the rather late age of 50. But that didn’t stop him from getting featured in the Forbes list of top 100 celebrity authors of India in 2014.
Though a marketing manager by profession, Podder always sustained a strong interest in writing — a passion that he developed at a tender age. As a kid, he would often contribute to children’s magazines and newspaper columns.
Podder recalls, “I began writing at the age of 7 when in London. My mother loved taking me to public libraries — throwing me amid books. She would encourage me to pen my tiny stories in notebooks, and she would leave them lying on the living room coffee table for visitors to read. So you see, my love for an audience was also born early in life.”
The family shifted back to India and settled in Delhi when Podder was 8. And his journey into the incredible world of books continued — from Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe to Jawaharlal Nehru’s The Discovery of India, he devoured every written word.
“My mother got me a subscription for Children's World, a popular magazine back then. And at 12, my short story got published in it. The feeling of seeing my name in print was incredible!” remembers Podder, words choking with nostalgia.
So, when does this incredibly busy author-cum-professional get time to write? “Every day, usually in the evenings,” comes the offhand answer.
He continues, “I edit as I write and my publishers take care of the rest — proofreading, final editing, cover design and other things. My writing is fast paced, and I often pick up plots from newspaper reports. To it, I add my passion for storytelling.”
