In between chuckles, wags, friendly banter, and unscripted detours, we chat with author Cyrus Broacha and illustrator Ayesha Broacha about their new release, Doggie Day Out, centred on a talking German Shepherd who plays detective in a Mumbai neighbourhood
Cyrus and Ayesha Broacha with Mary (foreground) and Peter. Doggie Day Out is part of a five-title collection called POFFS (Pets, Other Animals, Friends and School) meant to showcase funny, slice-of-life stories written by different authors for young readers. Pics/Shadab Khan
Mary the streetie is wagging her tail, signalling that we are welcome into her world. Peter, the rescued Saluki, is a bit wary, and plays Customs Officer. Sniff. Sniff. Woof. We pass the test.
“Is this part of the taxi mafia that I hear you run?” Cyrus Broacha greets us with his unmistakable brand of humour, when we alight from a kaali-peeli that drops us at his Malabar Hill residence. The sun is out, finally, and Peter and Mary are ready for their photo shoot. But the family frame is incomplete. “Madame is late; and we must wait,” Cyrus attempts a rhyme.
Ayesha Broacha’s illustrations vividly showcase Franco’s life with his family, the Treasurywallas, Homi, Roxy and Perry. ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY/AYESHA BROACHA, HARPERCOLLINS INDIA
The doggies aren’t complaining, and our crew is having a blast, capturing the happy-go-lucky duo prancing on the lawn that fronts the apartment. Soon, Ayesha arrives and is aghast at Cyrus’s choice of wardrobe for the interview. “Couldn’t you find anything better?” she exclaims, referring to his bright red tee and blue shorts combination. “I think it’s fine,” Cyrus smiles. I intervene, “He is sporting mid-day’s colours.”
Shoot done, we move indoors to friend and ‘second wife’ (in Ayesha’s words) Kunal Vijayakar’s ground floor home in the same building to chat about Doggie Day Out (HarperCollins), a book that heroes Franco, a talking German Shepherd, who plays neighbourhood detective. Excerpts from the interview:
Mid-day(MD): How did Franco Faredoon Treasurywalla become the protagonist?
Ayesha Broacha (AB): Francos are a constant in the household ever since I’ve known Cyrus; with various names, of course.
Cyrus Broacha (CB): This erudite writer that you speak of, whose name is Cyrus…streams of consciousness is his style, as was with any of the greats you read growing up. I am not a prepared writer. I just let it rip. Sit at the desk…write. I get bored…write later. I’m not someone who writes a plot and tries to go there; I don’t have that craft or skill.
CB: We’ve had German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) all our life until Ayesha put her foot down, and said only rescued dogs. As you can see, the power structure is clear…
AB: GSDs are bought and bred, and it’s very unhealthy. One needs to stop indulging in this breeding fixation. We have plenty of streeties who are hardy dogs.
CB: She wants to promote Swadeshi in every way; she ensures we buy only Indian products.
Coming back to Franco, all our German Shepherds have Italian names, like Luciano, Giovanni, and so on. My dad was a big Italian opera lover, so these names are inspired from great Italian artistes.
MD (to both): How did you develop the supporting characters — The Treasurywallas, Franco’s friends and the others?
CB: The story is derived from the people and the dogs around us. Dogs are at the heart of our lives; the heart of India. Since my childhood, and wherever I’ve lived and travelled, I’ve always come across dogs, and they’ve left pleasant memories. How could I not include them!
MD (to both): Tell us about your love affair with dogs?
CB: I had returned from the US; as a freelance copywriter, I was searching for a visualiser to work on a product. Ayesha was studying at Sophia’s. After speaking on the phone, we decided to meet at Café Naaz. There were no mobiles; this was 1994. So, I told her that I would be in shorts, a tee and with a German Shepherd. Then she asked, ‘How would I know it’s you?’ As if there would be 15 of us with German Shepherds waiting at Naaz…!
AB: …This is all fiction; there was no dog connect to this story.
CB: She didn’t turn up but called later to say she was held up. I should have left her alone then because I can’t bear people who are not punctual.
AB: I have another Café Naaz story with a dog. Cyrus at the time had a four-month-old GSD, so he asked me to check with Naaz’s proprietor if I could bring him to the café. He was this cantankerous Parsi fellow at the counter who agreed, assuming it was a puppy. Cyrus picked up the arm-full of dog, and that man threw a fit seeing the nearly-full grown canine. He wanted us to leave immediately!
CB: We reached a compromise; Ayesha had to leave, and the dog stayed on.
AB: Not again, Cyrus!
MD (to Ayesha): How did you collaborate with Cyrus on this book?
AB: I made it clear with our publisher that she was going to be the point of contact because dealing with our friend here is next to impossible. We don’t discuss work. Cyrus thinks his work is all important, and mine is never factored in.
CB: I gave her a full published manuscript to work with…
AB: …And yes, I really enjoyed the story. Because a lot of it is our lives and my experiences, which made it easily relatable to put into pictures.
CB: May I interrupt this all-female conference…? This was the first time in years that she said nice things to me after she read my manuscript. I was stunned that she complimented my writing; in fact, I had to quickly check, ‘Is this Ayesha?’ so I called two friends to take a look if it was actually her.
MD (to Ayesha): There is an inherent city vibe in the illustrations…
AB: Absolutely. It’s about our lane. All the characters here are familiar to us; they are people who Cyrus has commented about. So, it was easy to transfer that into my illustrations.
CB: She loves to draw from life. At the airport, if a flight is delayed; while my heart beats faster, she uses it as an opportunity to observe people and objects, and sketch their reactions.
MD: How did you feel when you saw the first copy?
AB: I was very pleased with the end product. I was given a free rein by the publisher to illustrate in my style; this is the way I draw in my sketchbook. The cover was challenging because it is part of a five-book series, and there had to be a synergy as per the template. I finally cracked it while on a flight. I had drawn countless versions, and then it suddenly struck me to illustrate this character as Cyrus would walk the dog, which I see all the time. It was a huge relief.
MD: Will Franco return?
CB: I really like Franco. German Shepherds are not the smartest, not the fastest, not the healthiest, not the most loyal. They are always second best. In many ways, he [referring to Franco] is the dog; he is always there. There could be a sequel because he is a charismatic personality. You notice how he attracts the whole community of dogs in Doggie Day Out.
As a child, Dog Detective Ranjha with Pratap Sharma was one of my favourite books. When they visited my school, I was fascinated by the synergy that they shared.
MD: Your advice to those who want to bring a dog home…
CB: Learn to do things for the dog. The dog is often forgotten because it is looked after by the home staff. Even children don’t seem to care.
AB: We have dogs in our Alibaug home, and they are free range. Even Peter and Mary are a bit caged though Cyrus ensures they don’t feel so. I strongly believe dogs shouldn’t be kept captive in the guise of loving them, where we want them to fit into our routines.
MD: What are Mumbai’s favourite places to walk dogs?
CB: Oval Maidan. But humans shouldn’t be around. Just leave the dogs there and return to pick them up.
AB: Chowpatty is great for happy dogs. Marine Drive is also dog-friendly.
MD: If this book were to be made into a movie, who would play the Treasurywallas?
CB: The cast will have to be slightly elderly, in their early 50s. I will take some calls because actors have to be ready to act their age. I want John [Abraham] to play the lead role because he is half-Parsi. Do you have any suggestions for Mrs Treasurywalla? (looking at Ayesha)
AB: You’ve based it on your [friend] Shenaz Treasury. She has the voice; the way she talks, it’s perfect —Cyrus is quite fond of her…
MD: If you were a dog for a day in Mumbai?
AB: I’m a beach bum; I would love to have a day out at Chowpatty, enjoying the sea breeze and sun with my indie friends.
CB: If I had this power, I would round up an army of dogs across the world, and we would start attacking dog haters. The violence in my head is unbearable; it cannot be divulged with your readers. But justice will be served.
Available: Leading bookstores and e-stores
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
