4.7 Riva Razdan: Dissecting The Feminist Romance Genre

Find out what it means to write a ‘feminist romance’ and what differentiates it from a typical romance novel. Tara and Michelle chat with Riva about why she set her debut novel ‘Arzu’ in the 90s liberalization era and explored the socio-economic backgrounds of her characters. Riva explains why she wanted to explore the mind of a ‘working woman’ and what kind of research was required to get the nuances of the story. Why does she call her book a feminist romance? How did she come up with the three love interests? And has her background in films influenced her writing? Dive into the glitzy glam world of industrialists, foreign education, journalism, parties and more. Riva Razdan is a recent graduate of New York University, where she studied under novelists Tishani Doshi (The Pleasure Seekers) and Miguel Syjuco (Ilustrado). She has studied storytelling in Paris, Florence, Abu Dhabi and New York. She currently resides in Mumbai and is a screenwriter for Anil Kapoor Films. Read her book. '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. Brought to you by Bound.This episode has 2 questions sponsored by Penguin Random House India. Check out their 2 recent releases: Tell Me How To Be by Neel PatelKarnali Blues by BuddhisagarOur mentorship offer ends on March 1st 2022. Use the code BOUNDMENTEE2022 to get a 10% discount on our three month mentorship program. 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.