Life-size paintings of rural India. Intricate carvings. Ornate supari-crackers and other knickknacks. A breath-taking view of the Arabian sea, that is so emblematic of Mumbai, adorns the room.

She lives surrounded by symbols that are reminders from the different corners of India. It is not surprising that is was only a matter of time before De, who has penned 14 books earlier, would venture to write a book on India.

Superstar India is De's tribute to India. She pours out her thoughts for the country within its pages.

"I think India's time has come. To capture that for me, as a writer, was very exciting, challenging and very personal because I happen to be the same age as the country," De said, flashing a smile. "In a way, it's a chronicle of two lives: mine and India's," she tells rediff.com's Entertainment Editor Ronjita Kulkarni.

Why did you decide to write a book on India? Why now? Why not earlier or later?

I think India's time has come. The moment is an India moment. We are on the up, up and up. To capture that for me, as a writer, was very exciting, challenging and very personal because I happen to be the same age as the country. In a way, it's a chronicle of two lives: mine and India's. But more than anything, it's about what I sense will happen to India in the future.

Photographs and video: Rajesh Karkera

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