Hello, Namaste, Bonjour, Hola, Guten Tag, Ni Hau
My name is Geetanjali Mehlwal and I am a writer, producer and entertainment lawyer residing in one of the world’s most vibrant and populous cities called Mumbai. I have had the privilege to travel and stay in various corners of the world covering four continents. I grew up in Germany, studied in the foliation capital of America and took a sabbatical in the breathtaking beaches and wineries of Australia.
All of these provided me with truly rich experiences in the diverse cultures, communities, food and people of these regions. It also gave me something really special –stories. Real stories of immigrant struggles, of survival, of fear, of generational adaptations and, above all, of finding ‘home’. A true sense of home, I realized could only be found when our hearts are truly at peace and without fear.
My love affair with writing began way back in school. I remember how I would write these [now seemingly silly] tales of chocolate homes and half human angels, and would be elated whenever my teacher Mrs.Mittal would give me a star, concealing a half smile behind her stern look. Her warm eyes always did away any fear the shy, little version of me felt. I spent a big part of my adult life handling legalities for others. After an LLM from the U.S., I advised some of the biggest studios, writers and producers in the Indian entertainment industry. Writing as a professional option was only explored by me recently. It culminated from my years of advisory on script issues and, involvement in the initial scripting of an international law-based show, ‘Criminal Justice’. I realized that, each time I wrote something, I fell a little more in love with the process and story. I found myself enchanted. Whether it was childhood stories involving food, or film reviews, or scripts for shows, or a full-fledged manuscript, writing in every form, filled my heart and mind so uniquely.
And, now …
I am completing my first manuscript and penning down chapters for my next. They are in fast paced, suspense genres. Much like my own life. I often wonder where the bumpy road is headed and if the destination is anything I imagined. Or would it be another surprise. Pleasant hopefully. In my free time, I dabble with my grandmother’s recipes and spend the best part of my day preparing breakfast with my child. She loves pounding little spices sitting on her toddler stool in the kitchen. I am instantly delighted when I hear her spin off tales with an animated, “Once upon a time….” weaving mamma and herself into the stories portraying the oddest, most hilarious characters. She is already a better story teller and comedian than me. I am excited that the gene pool of stories, food and entertainment may carry on. Or not. I’d love to see how that pans out! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much I love writing them.