1.12: Amrita Mahale- On Writing A Literary Love Story Set In Bombay

Find Out How Amrita Dealt With Manuscript Rejections, How She Drew Inspiration From Life For The Plot Of Milk Teeth And Much More...This week on Books and Beyond with Bound, we are joined by Amrita Mahale, aerospace-engineer-turned-author of the JCB-longlisted Milk Teeth. We talk about Mumbai, the backdrop of her debut novel, and everything that makes the city home. Amrita tells us why she finds airport bookstores fascinating, why she’s intrigued by the relationship between a city and its citizens and what truly makes for a good book. We talk about editing, book deals and writer’s block. We talk about inspiration, fear and patience. Amrita talks us through her major characters – how they possess elements of herself and people she knows, yet are so completely different from reality. She talks about good characterization, the research that went into Milk Teeth and why it is more than a romance novel. Through heartfelt conversation, we explore incidents in her personal life that have influenced characters in her novel. Is Karthik’s coming-out experience inspired by her brother? Or does his risk-averse nature resemble Amrita herself?'Books and Beyond with Bound' is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick. Amrita Mahale is the author of the novel Milk Teeth, longlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature 2019. Amrita was trained as an aerospace engineer and is a product manager at a nonprofit research lab working on artificial intelligence for social good. Her writing has appeared in Hindustan Times, Scroll, Himal Southasian and Brown Paper Bag.You can get a copy of her book here- https://www.amazon.in/Books-Amrita-Mahale/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AAmrita+MahaleTune in every Wednesday for a new episode.Follow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindiaFollow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com/podcast/ Applications for The Bound Publishing Course 2026 are now open.The Bound Publishing Course is a 3-month intensive course on book, magazine, and digital publishing. Through live sessions, workshops, and industry-facing projects, participants gain practical publishing skills and exposure to careers across the industry.Cohort size: 50 seatsFirst round of acceptances: 15th June 2026Applications are reviewed on a rolling bas‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.