Milan authors winning waltz

BANGALORE: Milan Vohra is wearing a classic black tee with a bright smile. When she talks, she adopts an airy posture, and introduces a new topic with a regal wave of her hand. She has an easy gait and a busy head. The new-age M & B heroine?
Milan is content weaving the plot. The 44-year-old Bangalorean topped the Mills and Boon passion contest, with her short story `Love Asana: a younger man, older woman romance.This makes her the first official Indian writer for the 100-year-old institution of romance writing.
Milan, a top hat in the advertising industry, will write under a pen name. She's yet to decide on the name, but is sure it'll be an Indian name. She'll also ring in Indian features to a stage long dominated by the English Rose, Greek Tycoons and Texan Cowboys.
"India can be brought into the books in so many ways, location for one. We've read about chateaus, rundown castles and Venice. We have the Taj Mahal to begin with," Milan said. "Also, we're known as hot-blooded passionate people. That lends to this genre of writing. I would like to use Indian sensibilities, create conflicting situations like in my short story."
Eyes sparkling she said, she's looking forward to using Indian terms of endearment. "We've all read `mia cara' `mon cherie' 'ma belle', now the world can read of `Meri Jaan'," she smiles.
While the Indian woman has long been applauded for physical form, Milan is looking to give her heroines a bolder edge. "You see strong and intelligent women all around you in urban India. They'll be my readers and it's from among them that I'll build my characters. The characterization has to be real. The story is the fantasy land I sprint them off too," she said.
The Indian man Milan is looking at is -- intelligent, witty, spirited and unconventionally good looking. "I'm going to take the best of the Indian man for my sketch of Mr Right. Big hearted, cultured, confident," she added.
She doesn't rule out a book set in Bangalore. "I'd love to base it on the town-city I fell in love with when I first moved here in the 90s" she said. "Morning walks in Lalbagh and breakfast at MTR. I'd also like to bring in the quiet South Indian manner. People are very supportive here without being nosey."