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PHOTO: R. RAGU

MUSH MAGIC Absorbed in an M&B

“Well, we’ve had Indian heroes before,” says Andrew J. Go, Director of the Indian Operations of HMBI, based in Mumbai. The difference now is since they’ve launched formally in the country, it’s likely that audiences around the world will see many more hunky Indian Maharajas, CEOs and — we’re guessing — dot com millionaires, with the company planning to add Indian writers into their fold.

Of course, the deliciously purple prose I opened with will never make the cut. Neither will my friends’ attempts, which included a “sensuous thayir sadam eater” and the “earthy Punjab da puttar who insists on onions for lunch, for he’s too macho to bother about niceties like aromatic kissing.”

After all, the immensely popular Romance series has made its millions over the past 100 years by creating fantasy men — towering, meticulously muscled, stunning millionaires, with yachts, planes, haughty exteriors and big, palpitating hearts. And their Indian heroes will be no different.

Popular author Penny Jordan, who will soon release her first romance featuring India, with Indian characters, sets the story in a fictional state. With a Maharaja, of course. “The hero’s the Maharaja’s brother,” says Andrew, talking of how the M&B hero has evolved with the times. “He’s a property baron. And I’m sure he’s handsome and muscular – but I’m sure he’s also very sensitive… Prince Charming has to earn his title now,” says Andrew, “Women are more confident, more driven and have more control over what they want.”

While the fantasy-man, happily-ever-after formula is essential, Andrew says the series does allow authors to deal with “subjects that were once taboo, like single parent families, or divorce,” to keep up with the times. Their ability to change, adapt and still stick with old-fashioned romance seems to be their strongest asset. With titles like ‘Bought for the Frenchman’s Pleasure’, ‘The Italian Tycoon and the Nanny’ or ‘Taken by the Bad Boy,’ these books work like magic carpets, of sorts, spiriting readers out of their kitchens and offices into sun-drenched beaches and posh French villas.

“It’s a really easy read. Very uplifting… a quick hit of escapism,” says Andrew, adding that since “India really is the land of love, with Bollywood, it’s music and the world’s most iconic symbol of love, the Taj,” it’s only natural that they expect this to become one of their biggest markets.

“Everyone’s trying to get into India now, thanks to the booming economy,” he says, adding that they were very surprised to find how familiar Indian women already were with their brand when they arrived. “Now we’re printing locally, and will release titles every month, so it’s a fantastic opportunity for us.” (The books are available at all major bookstores for Rs. 99)

To their surprise, intensive research with focus groups consisting of women between 14 and 45 across India, showed that Indian women weren’t that hung up on desi heroes after all. “We asked them, do you want to see Paris with Jacque and Clair under the Eiffel tower, or Manish and Meera, under the Gateway of India,” he says, “and they said they liked seeing Greece and Paris.”

The bottom line seems to be, an Indian prince will work just as well as the Greek shipping magnate. “It’s really the whole story rather than the person’s ethnicity.” Romance, after all, is at the heart of every book.

“We get about 40,000 unsolicited manuscripts a year,” says Andrew, stating that they will look more closely at the Indian ones now, perhaps even creating a whole line of Indian stories eventually. “Our author-base comes from our reader base,” he says, adding, “Everyone’s got a love story.”

On champagne-laden yachts? Andrew laughs, “Ah, that’s where the fantasy comes in.”

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