Olivier Lafont
Storizen|September 2020
Olivier Lafont is a French author, screenplay writer and actor living in Paris. His other works include Warrior (shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize), The Kumaon Secret Society: The Rise of the Midnight King (shortlisted for the Neev Book Award 2020), Sweet Revenge, Snowbound and Purgatory: The Gun of God. He has written an Indo-French feature film that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to win seven awards internationally. He has acted in Hollywood and Indian films, including 3 Idiots and Guzaarish. He graduated with degrees in English Literature and in theatre from Colgate University, USA, with academic distinction.
Swapna Peri
Olivier Lafont

Tell us about Oop & Lila. How did the idea of the adventurous book happen?

‘Oop & Lila’ came together from three different ideas : a bag of 99 wish candies; adventures based on magical snow globes, with each snow globe having different scenes that lead to different magical worlds ; and the desire to have a brother-sister pairing as my main characters. The wish candies and the magical snow globes actually were on my ideas list, an ongoing list where I jot down any idea that comes to me. The idea could be a film or a book, a whole plot or theme, or just bits of dialogue or titles that I like. Over time some ideas come together quite spontaneously and bloom into a story - which is what happened with ‘Oop & Lila’.

I had wanted to explore the brother-sister dynamic in more detail for some time, and it fit with my other two elements perfectly. With these main three elements together all I needed was an epic setting for a snow globe adventure, and the Golden Age of Piracy was perfect for that, with my own personal twist, of course.

How different are the plotsetting and story mapping in Oop & Lila from your previous book ‘Warrior’ as it is based on traces of stories from mythology?

This story is from the September 2020 edition of Storizen.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of Storizen.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM STORIZENView All
You Are A Trip
Storizen

You Are A Trip

A step forward, is a journey inside Each travel, is embracing the journey Soaking in the moment, destination never the yardstick of joy Backpacking dreams, brimming with a sense of wonder Travel, is a learning, discovering, with seeking eyes and heart…

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
INTERVIEW Prashanth Srivatsa, Author: The Spice Gate
Storizen

INTERVIEW Prashanth Srivatsa, Author: The Spice Gate

In this insightful interview, Prashanth dives deep into the world of The Spice Gate, a richly woven narrative blending the complexity of subjugation, rebellion, and hope.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2024
LOST AND FOUND IN PARADISE
Storizen

LOST AND FOUND IN PARADISE

Maya wasn’t at peace ever since she had discovered that her wedding ring was missing. Where on earth did she drop it?

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2024
The Soul of Gulzar, the Craft of Rakshanda Jalil
Storizen

The Soul of Gulzar, the Craft of Rakshanda Jalil

In the delicate art of translation, few challenges compare to capturing the essence of a poet as iconic as Gulzar.

time-read
7 mins  |
August 2024
Nehru's First Recruits by Kallol Bhattacherjee
Storizen

Nehru's First Recruits by Kallol Bhattacherjee

Following India's independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was confronted with the enormous challenge of reconstructing a new nation from the rubble of conflict, starvation, and division among communities.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
The Gentleman from Peru by André Aciman
Storizen

The Gentleman from Peru by André Aciman

In André Aciman's latest novella, \"The Gentleman from Peru,\" readers are taken to the sun-drenched Amalfi coast, where a fortuitous encounter with an intriguing Peruvian gentleman leads to a story of profound love and mysticism.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
The Letter With The Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Rauf
Storizen

The Letter With The Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Rauf

\"The Letter With The Golden Stamp\" by Onjali Q. Rauf is a powerful contemporary children's novel that chronicles the compelling story of Audrey, a young girl thrust into a burdensome role far beyond her years.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
The Tamil Story by Dilip Kumar
Storizen

The Tamil Story by Dilip Kumar

“The Tamil Story: Through the Times, Through the Tides”, edited by Dilip Kumar and translated by Subashree Krishnaswamy, is a seminal anthology that brings together eighty-eight short stories spanning nearly a century.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Think This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe
Storizen

Think This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe

In \"Think This, Not That,\" Dr. Josh Axe offers an engaging manual for realizing your full potential via the adoption of many paradigm-shifting mental practices.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Zeba by Huma Qureshi
Storizen

Zeba by Huma Qureshi

Huma Qureshi takes readers on an exciting trip into the life of an unlikely superhero in her debut book, Zeba.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024