Interview With The Author Of "Bhoota Gappa" Horror Book Series & "Bhoota Gappa 3" Made Affordable & The Challenges Of Reading Books Being Obsolete
An interview with the author of the Bhoota Gappa horror series, exploring Odisha superstitions, fading beliefs, and the purpose of storytelling in the age of AI. Q1. Why did you write this Special Edition on Odisha superstitions? Pratiksha: I grew up around these beliefs. They were never just stories, they were a way of living. We were told not to go out at night, not to answer certain voices, and not to question rituals. And we listened, not just out of fear, but out of trust. Odisha is a land deeply rooted in culture and memory. It has given rise to some of India’s most respected literary voices, and yet, beyond books, it carries stories that were never written down. It is home to 62 diverse tribal communities, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, forming over 22% of the state’s population. In these communities, beliefs are not theory, they are lived experiences. When I moved to Mumbai in 2005 after my engineering, I realized how little people knew about O...