Anuja Chauhan

{{Short description|Indian writer}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Anuja Chauhan | image = Anuja Chauhan (cropped).jpg | caption = Chauhan at the Bangalore Literature Fest in 2017 | birth_date = | birth_place = [[Meerut]], Uttar Pradesh, India | spouse = [[Niret Alva]] | occupation = Writer | relatives = [[Nandini Bajpai]] (sister) }}

'''Anuja Chauhan''' is an Indian novelist and screenwriter. As a writer, she is known for ''[[The Zoya Factor]]'' (2008),<ref name=ec/> ''[[Battle For Bittora]]'' (2010), ''Those Pricey Thakur Girls'' (2013), ''The House That BJ Built'' (2015), ''Baaz'' (2017), ''Club You To Death'' (2021), and ''The Fast and the Dead'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://caravanmagazine.in/reviews-essays/terms-endearment-indian-romance-writers|title=India's male and female romance writers follow opposing codes|first=Snigdha|last=Poonam|website=The Caravan}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Born in the north Indian state of [[Uttar Pradesh]], Chauhan spent most of her childhood in various [[cantonment]] towns in [[North India]], as her father served in the [[Indian Army]]. He took premature retirement at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, migrating to Australia thereafter. She is the youngest of four sisters: Padmini, Rohini, Nandini, and Anuja.<ref name=to/> Her older sister [[Nandini Bajpai]] is also an author.<ref>{{cite news|last=Venkatraman|first=Janane|title=Band, Bajaa, Books?|url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Band-Bajaa-Books/2013/07/08/article1672387.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130712013545/http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Band-Bajaa-Books/2013/07/08/article1672387.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 July 2013|newspaper=Indian Express|date=8 July 2013}}</ref>

Chauhan did her schooling at the [[Indian Army Public Schools|Army Public School]], New Delhi, Sophia Girls Convent, [[Meerut Cantonment]], and [[Delhi Public School, Mathura Road]], New Delhi. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from [[Miranda House]], [[Delhi University]], and a post graduate diploma in mass communication from the [[RMIT University|Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology]].<ref name=to/>

==Career==

===Advertising=== Chauhan joined [[J. Walter Thompson|JWT]] in 1993<ref>[http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/headlines/y2k10/aug/augmam50.php Anuja Chauhan, Elvis Sequeira quit JWT] Indiantelevision.com Team, 17 August 2010.</ref> and in the next seventeen years was responsible for many memorable catchphrases, primarily for Pepsi Cola, India, such as "[[Yeh Dil Maange More!|Yeh Dil Maange More]]!", "Mera Number Kab Aayega","Nothing official about it" and " Oye Bubbly".<ref name=to>[http://woman.intoday.in/woman/story.jsp?sid=6248 Fire works] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721162431/http://woman.intoday.in/woman/story.jsp?sid=6248 |date=21 July 2011 }} Woman, ''India Today'', March 2010.</ref> Over the years she worked with brands like [[Pepsi]], [[Kurkure]], [[Mountain Dew]] and [[Nokia]], creating Pepsi's "Nothing official about it" campaign and advertising slogans such as Pepsi's "[[Yeh Dil Maange More]]" and "Oye Bubbly".<ref name=ec/> Other popular [[catchphrase]]s she worked on include ''Darr ke Aage Jeet Hai'' for [[Mountain Dew]], ''Tedha Hai par Mera Hai'' for [[Kurkure]], "Be a Little Dillogical", for [[Lays]] Chips and ''KitKat Break Banta Hai'' for Nestle [[Kit Kat]]. By 2003 and at age 33, she was one of the youngest vice-presidents in JWT.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Cannes-cubs-roaring-to-go/articleshow/207298.cms|title=Cannes cubs roaring to go|date=29 September 2003|work=The Times of India}}</ref> She features regularly in ''[[The Economic Times]]'' supplement Brand Equity's list of the ten hottest creative directors in India, and was ranked 26th in the 'creativerankings 2010', a list of the leading executive creative directors in Asia-Pac.<ref>[http://www.thecreativerankings.com/profile/anuja Anuja Chauhan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716231441/http://www.thecreativerankings.com/profile/anuja |date=16 July 2011 }} ''Creativerankings''.</ref>

In August 2010, she resigned from her post of vice-president and Executive Creative Director at JWT to pursue a career in writing.<ref name=ec>{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-announcement/Anuja-Chauhan-puts-in-papers-at-JWT/articleshow/6322248.cms|title=Anuja Chauhan puts in papers at JWT|date=August 2010|work=Economic Times}}</ref> She has remained active as an advertising consultant and was the only Indian to feature on the [[The One Club|One Show]] Jury for the year 2011. In 2014, she started working on the Pepsi brand again, as a consultant for the Power of One team at JWT.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://in.finance.ret1p.global.media.yahoo.com/video/brand-equity-anuja-chauhan-bring-105012843.html |title=Brand Equity: Anuja Chauhan to bring back Pepsi's fizz? | Watch the video - Finance India |accessdate=2015-03-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125328/http://in.finance.ret1p.global.media.yahoo.com/video/brand-equity-anuja-chauhan-bring-105012843.html |archivedate=2 April 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref>

===Author=== She started working on her first novel in 2006. Cricket became the setting of her novel ''[[The Zoya Factor]]'', after her work on the [[Pepsi]] brand for 13 years and close association with cricket advertising.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/maiden-over/331743/ |title=Maiden Over |date=5 July 2008 |work=Indian Express |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011030951/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/maiden-over/331743/ |archivedate=11 October 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Upadhyay|first=Karishma|date=2019-08-09|title=Anuja Chauhan's journey into Bollywood|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/anuja-chauhans-journey-into-bollywood/article28936515.ece|access-date=2021-01-29|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> ''The Zoya Factor'' ran the danger of being dismissed as 'Mills and Boon-ish' but most reviewers were quick to praise the depth of the author's characters, her wicked descriptions and the authenticity of her [[Hinglish]] laced dialogue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?238441|title=Review"Droll Connect|date=22 September 2008|work=Outlook}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/books/story/20080714-fortune-rookie-736816-2008-07-03|title=Books: Fortune rookie|date=3 July 2008|work=Indian Today}}</ref>

''[[The Zoya Factor]]'' was optioned for a film by [[Shah Rukh Khan]]s [[Red Chillies Entertainment]] production company. The option was for three years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/printarticle.aspx?263236 |title=Booking A Story: Bollywood is now dipping into desi bestsellers for inspiration |date=21 December 2009 |work=Outlook |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217091823/http://outlookindia.com/printarticle.aspx?263236 |archivedate=17 February 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref> Subsequently, the rights were purchased by Pooja Shetty Deora's Walkwater Films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/the-zoya-factor-slips-out-of-shah-rukh-khans-hands/|title=The Zoya Factor' slips out of Shah Rukh Khan's hands : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama|first=Bollywood|last=Hungama|website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |date=2 April 2012}}</ref>

Her book ''[[Battle for Bittora]]'' was released in 2010 by actor [[Saif Ali Khan]] in Delhi in October 2010,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Saif-s-literary-side/Article1-613744.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125134427/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Saif-s-literary-side/Article1-613744.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|title=Saif's literary side|date=16 October 2010|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> to critical approval from ''[[India Today]]'', ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'',<ref name=out>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?267885|title=Review: Hot Bhainscafe|last=Pande|first=Ira|work=Outlook}}</ref> ''[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]''{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} and ''[[Tehelka]]'' magazines.<ref name=te>{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main47.asp?filename=hub231010CHICKLIT.asp|title=Chicklit goes khadi|date=23 October 2010|work=Tehelka Magazine|volume=7|issue=42|access-date=18 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908025223/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main47.asp?filename=hub231010CHICKLIT.asp|archive-date=8 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

''Tehelka'' called it a "worthy successor to ''The Zoya Factor''."<ref name=te/> According to Ira Pande, in ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'' magazine, Chauhan 'manages to legitimise a new vocabulary emerging from the violent collision between Bharat and India that has all the promise of a new lingua franca. In the way that [[Piyush Pandey]], [[Prasoon Joshi]] and [[A. R. Rahman]] have brought a whiff of newness into lyrics and jingles, this new language may outrage purists but describes perfectly memorable Indian sense-impressions, such as Bhainscafe, the brew that marries [[instant coffee]] with nauseatingly rich buffalo milk.'<ref name=out/> ''[[The Hindustan Times]]'' is its review commended the book for its treatment, while giving the "biggest vote" to novel's characterisation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Betting-on-the-ballot/Article1-639723.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204153843/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Betting-on-the-ballot/Article1-639723.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 February 2011|title=Betting on the ballot|date=18 December 2010|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref>

The film rights for ''Battle of Bittora'' were purchased by the film production company [[Saregama]] for three years for an undisclosed sum, and then sold to Anil Kapoor Film Company. A film starring Fawad Khan and Sonam Kapoor, produced by Rhea Kapoor has been announced.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-23|title=Anuja Chauhan's third book to go on celluloid|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/230119/anuja-chauhans-third-book-to-go-on-celluloid.html|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref> Shooting will commence in November 2015.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Sonam-and-Fawad-cast-in-adaptation-of-Anuja-Chauhans-Battle-for-Bittora/articleshow/44414072.cms | title=Sonam and Fawad cast in adaptation of Anuja Chauhan's Battle for Bittora | first=Priya | last=Gupta | date=6 October 2014 | newspaper=The Times of India | accessdate=9 June 2018 }}</ref>

In early 2015, she moved from her long-time publishers HarperCollins India, to Westland, to 'try something new and reach out to more people.' The parting from Harper was 'cordial' and they continued to publish her backlist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/714606/why-anuja-chauhan-moved-from-harpercollins-after-eight-years-and-three-bestsellers|title=Why Anuja Chauhan moved from HarperCollins after eight years and three bestsellers|first=Arunima|last=Mazumdar|website=Scroll.in|date=19 March 2015 }}</ref>

The trailer for "The House that BJ Built" was launched on 15 May 2015. India Today said 'Chauhan is at the top of her game as she explores love and real estate in Delhi "It's a funny, feisty novel, with her trademark, exuberant, golgappa dialogue-Hindi deliciously spooned and scooped into English to tart it up-in place and some moments that you at once recognise as pure Bollywood."<ref name="TOI">{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/books/story/20150525-anuja-chauhan-romance-real-estate-delhi-819648-2015-05-14|title= Love storey on Hailey Road |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

LiveMint's review of the book said "The House That BJ Built gives its readers, and its characters, exactly what they paid for."<ref name="LiveMint">{{cite news|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/NvhsCNqJyDTrhUCwnvQfUM/Book-review-The-House-that-BJ-Built.html|title= Book Review: The House That BJ Built |publisher=[[LiveMint]]}}</ref>

Her fifth novel ''Baaz'' was released in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.womensweb.in/2017/05/love-stories-with-bittersweet-endings-anuja-chauhan/|title="Love Stories with Bittersweet Endings Can Also Leave You with a Feel-Good Vibe" – Anuja Chauhan|date=25 May 2017}}</ref>

She released her sixth novel Club You To Death in February 2021. It is her first murder mystery. In July 2021, Dinesh Vijan acquired the rights to make a film version.{{cn|date=March 2024}} The film, set to release on [[Netflix]] on 15 March 2024, is titled [[Murder Mubarak]], and directed by [[Homi Adajania]], stars [[Pankaj Tripathi]] is the lead role as ACP Bhavani Singh. The ensemble cast includes [[Dimple Kapadia]], [[Karisma Kapoor|Karishma Kapoor]], [[Tisca Chopra]], [[Sanjay Kapoor]], [[Vijay Varma|Vijay Verma]] and [[Sara Ali Khan]].

Her seventh novel, The Fast and the Dead, came out in 2023.

==Bibliography== * ''[[The Zoya Factor]]''. 2008. [[HarperCollins]]. {{ISBN|81-7223-748-0}}. * ''[[Battle for Bittora|Battle For Bittora]]: The Story Of India's Most Passionate Lok Sabha Contest!''. 2010, HarperCollins. {{ISBN|978-93-5029-002-6}} * ''Those Pricey Thakur Girls'' (January 2013) Harper-Collins. * ''The House That BJ Built'' (May 2015) Westland. {{ISBN|978-93-85152-18-4}} * ''Baaz'' (April 2017) HarperCollins * ''Club You To Death'' (February 2021) HarperCollins * ''The Fast and the Dead '' (February 2021) [[HarperCollins]] == Filmography == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="width:75%" ! scope="col" style="width:5%" | Year ! scope="col" style="width:40%" | Film ! scope="col" style="width:10%" | Director ! scope="col" style="width:10%" | Contribution ! scope="col" style="width:10%" | Notes |- |2019 | ''[[The Zoya Factor (film)|The Zoya Factor]]'' || [[Abhishek Sharma (director)|Abhishek Sharma]] || Dialogues | Adaptation of [[The Zoya Factor]] novel |- |2024 | ''[[Murder Mubarak]]'' ||[[Homi Adajania]]||Story | Adaptation of Club you to death novel |}

==Honors and awards== Chauhan was featured in ''[[Femina (India)|Femina]]'' magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful women in India in 2011 and in MSN's The Influentials, a list of the top 50 most powerful women in the country. In 2017, she won the Femina Women Achievers Award, in the Literary contribution category. In 2018, she was awarded for her contributuion to Literature, by the [[FICCI]] Ladies Organization.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

''[[The Zoya Factor]]'' has won ''Cosmopolitan'' Magazine, India's Fun Fearless Female award for literature (2008){{cn|date=March 2024}} and the ''[[India Today]]'' Woman award for Woman as Storyteller (2009).<ref name="it">{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/31388/India+Today+Woman+Summit+%26+Awards+2009.html?complete=1|title=India Today Woman Summit & Awards 2009|date=6 March 2009|work=India Today|access-date=17 December 2010|archive-date=22 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122052905/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/31388/India+Today+Woman+Summit+%26+Awards+2009.html?complete=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was longlisted for the India Plaza Golden Quill (2009).{{cn|date=March 2024}}

==Personal life== Chauhan is married to the television presenter and producer, [[Niret Alva]]. The two met in Delhi in 1989, during the production of a college play. They married in 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/supplement/story/20090720-love-story-740225-2009-07-08|title=Love Story|date=9 July 2009|work=India Today}}</ref> They have three children, and Chauhan's mother-in-law is [[Margaret Alva]], a senior leader of the [[Indian National Congress]], the former General Secretary of the [[All India Congress Committee]] and the former Governor of the desert state of Rajasthan.

==See also== * [[List of Indian writers]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{external links|section|date=July 2022}} * [https://www.livemint.com/2010/11/04224919/Battle-for-Bittora.html Battle for Bittora, Interview, 2010] at ''[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]'' * [https://indianwritinginenglish.uohyd.ac.in/post-millennial-indian-genre-fiction-in-english-part-two-e-dawson-varughese/#style Style in Battle for Bittora] * [http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_book-review-those-pricey-thakur-girls_1800697 Dnaindia.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131228181432/http://www.zapondo.com/book-review-battle-for-bittora-by-anuja-chauhan/ Zapondo.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110122175440/http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/fullstory.asp?section_id=1&news_id=40750&tag=33244 Exchange4media.com] * [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Nikhil-Advani-signs-Anuja-Chauhan-for-next/articleshow/7554017.cms Indiatimes.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110311092332/http://news.in.msn.com/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=5007133&page=44 News.in.msn.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110707213651/http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=Entertainment+-+Lounge&sectid=31&contentid=20101015201010151139372266fa79ceb Riotous political romp] * [https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/culture/story/baaz-anuja-chauchan-romance-novel-1971-war-indian-air-force-lifest-975674-2017-05-07 Wartime love to Bollywood masala, this new novel has it all] * [https://www.dailyo.in/arts/anuja-chauhan-baaz-india-bangladesh-war/story/1/16935.html Why Anuja Chauhan deserves my salaam for her new book Baaz] * [https://scroll.in/article/836114/anuja-chauhans-new-romance-will-raise-heartbeats-for-more-than-one-reason-theres-a-war-thrown-in Anuja Chauhan’s new romance will raise heartbeats for more than one reason (there’s a war thrown in)] * [https://www.thehindu.com/books/i-love-writing-about-the-coolest-thing/article18389381.ece ‘I love writing about the coolest thing’] * [http://www.blush.me/unwind/blushverdict-anuja-chauhans-baaz-engaging-unputdownable-war-tale/ Blush.me] * [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/photo-features/movies-to-look-forward-to/Sonam-Kapoor-and-Dulquer-Salmaan-to-star-in-The-Zoya-Factor/photostory/63280298.cms Sonam Kapoor and Dulquer Salmaan to star in 'The Zoya Factor' – Movies to look forward to] * [http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/sonam-kapoor-will-meet-anuja-chauhan-to-discuss-the-zoya-factor-5117554/ Sonam Kapoor will meet Anuja Chauhan to discuss The Zoya Factor]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chauhan, Anuja}} [[Category:1970 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Novelists from Uttar Pradesh]] [[Category:People from Meerut]] [[Category:Chick lit writers]] [[Category:English-language Indian writers]] [[Category:Indian advertising people]] [[Category:Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology alumni]] [[Category:Delhi Public School alumni]] [[Category:Women writers from Uttar Pradesh]] [[Category:21st-century Indian novelists]] [[Category:Miranda House alumni]] [[Category:21st-century Indian women novelists]]