Riva Razdan is fast emerging as one of the most captivating new voices in Indian fiction, known for her nuanced portrayals of ambition, love, and legacy. After the success of her debut novel Arzu and the heartfelt charm of The Naani Diaries, she returns with Death Of A Gentleman- a bold and emotionally layered story. Set in the opulent yet cutthroat world of post-pandemic Mumbai high society, the novel captures the emotional intricacies of its characters against a backdrop of the city鈥檚 iconic locales. Critics and readers alike are already praising its depth and insight. We caught up with Riva to talk about how Mumbai became a character in its own right, what drives her storytelling, and why the modern Indian woman is always at the heart of her fiction. The novel is vividly set in post-Covid Mumbai, capturing the city鈥檚 elite social scene at places like Neuma and Lakshmi Mansion. What inspired you to ground this story in Mumbai鈥檚 high society, and how does the city itself function as a character in the narrative? Mumbai is the city of opportunity. It鈥檚 where people can become first generation millionaires. But that very fact, its immense potential, often burdens those of us who live here. If you鈥檙e in the city of dreams, it鈥檚 like you have a responsibility to ACHIEVE those dreams. We鈥檙e all raised with stars in our eyes, dreaming too hard and falling into abject disappointment if our reality doesn鈥檛 measure up to our ambition, on time. I wanted my characters to feel that pressure of having to succeed, for it to warp them, maybe even to the edge of losing their humanity and then they have to find a way to exist in Mumbai, without being crushed by its material expectations. We loved the way you kept twisting Yuvraaj鈥檚 relationship with his father, so we never really know till the end how they feel about each other. What drew you to explore these tense familial relationships, and how do they reflect broader societal pressures? Yuvraaj and his father鈥檚 relationship is really a microcosm of any 鈥榙riven鈥 individual鈥檚 relationship with society. I think the most addictive drug that exists today isn鈥檛 alcohol or nicotine or cocaine, it鈥檚 other people鈥檚 validation. It鈥檚 why people keep posting, hoping to be seen as a success on Instagram and LinkedIn. There鈥檚 always someone, or a smattering of someones that they鈥檙e hoping to impress. This novel examines that need for validation through a boy who has worked his way into becoming a real success but still feels unseen because his father refuses to acknowledge him and his success. It drives Yuvraaj to do desperate things, actions that may even destroy him. What this book is trying to say is step back, reassess the situation and think about who鈥檚 validation you鈥檙e seeking and whether it鈥檚 really necessary for you to live an optimum life. So you鈥檙e not saying Ambition is bad? No, on the contrary, I think it鈥檚 good to be ambitious and to have goals. That is why Yuvraaj is healthiest when he鈥檚 at the company he鈥檚 built, working hard in his meritocracy. But when he starts coveting his father鈥檚 hotels, when his ambition becomes unchecked, because he wants to impress his father, that鈥檚 when his life starts to go off the rails. Sanjanaa emerges as a pivotal figure, balancing her professional identity as a doctor with her personal loyalties. How did you develop her character to embody both strength and emotional depth? I find that most girls these days are both strong and gentle. They鈥檙e a beautiful blend of feminine and powerful. I wanted Sanjanaa to reflect that ideal, I wanted her to be a young woman who is a nurturer and yet capable of being fierce when necessary. What do you want readers to take away from this novel? I鈥檇 like them to examine whose opinion matters most to them, whom they鈥檙e trying to impress and why. I鈥檇 hope that this novel helps them to find a way to get off the hedonistic treadmill that makes one feel like they have to keep up with whoever you last saw on Instagram 鈥榣iving their best lives鈥. The way to do it is to build a fortress of your own values and a circle of people you trust to protect you as you build a life you love. Death Of A Gentleman is now available for purchase on Amazon.