Sreya Sarkar’s Beneath The Veneer Unveils The Strength Of Female Friendship

Sreya Sarkar has been a writer all her life. In her debut novel Beneath the Veneer, she explores the strength of female friendships and the struggle of six women with troubled pasts and their fight for social justice. In this interview with India Currents, she talks about her writing process, her inspiration behind the idea of this novel, and much more.

The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Surabhi: What came to you first, the book’s plot or characters?

Sreya: The climax of the plot came to me first. Then I focused on world-building. The characters followed one by one. The characters and their motivation drove the finer details of the plot. When I started writing the book, my goal was to address the difficult topic of women trafficking in big cities and to stitch into that the personal struggles of women from different social backgrounds.

Surabhi: The strong friendship ties among female characters at the heart of the story throw light on the need for social justice. Tell us how you wove the themes into the story.

Sreya: The thread bringing together the characters is the trauma they suffered in a society that does not prioritize women’s needs and is indifferent to the everyday difficulties they face. I was inspired by the Indian household, supported by a network of informal transactions and relationships among women. Hidden in these everyday transactions are stories of friendship that go unnoticed. I thought what if such a group of women are brought together and inserted in a crisis that reminds all of them how they have suffered? That is how the book emerged.

Surabhi: The character Rani, an athlete, faces challenges that threaten her dignity. What inspired this character?

Sreya: Women athletes in India have always faced more challenges than men and continue to do so. The recent case of Vinesh Phogat is a reminder of how even a promising wrestler like her can be defeated by the politics in her country as she goes to compete in the Olympics. Dutee Chand’s story inspires Rani’s character; how she was banned from participating as a sprinter because of no fault of hers and had to fight a difficult battle with the athletics federation to end the ban.

Surabhi: Which is your favorite scene or chapter?

Sreya: I enjoyed writing about the pickle factory. Kesri, the factory owner’s backstory is wrapped in a chapter that describes the factory. It shows why and how it became a haven for its workers. It also stands as a testament to how hard Kesri had to fight at multiple fronts not only to erect it but to keep it running as well. I don’t personally like eating pickles but while researching and writing about it, I did try some unique varieties and it reminded me of my home. It brought back memories of how my mother and grandmother used to dry mangoes in the sun and prepare the brine for pickling during my summer vacations.

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