Durjoy Datta

Durjoy Datta is an Indian novelist. He also writes for television and movies. He has two youth shows, Sadda Haq and Million Dollar Girl, on Channel V and Ek Veer Ki Ardaas...Veera on Star Plus to his credit.^[1][2][3][4] He graduated from the prestigious Delhi College of Engineering (now known as Delhi Technological University) and then went on to do PGDBM in marketing from Management Development Institute and Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.^[5] He has co-founded Grapevine India Publishers . He is the best-selling author of nine books. In 2009, he was recognised as a young achiever by The Times of India. He was also chosen as one of the two young achievers in the field of Media and Communications by Whistling Woods International in 2011.^[6] His debut show Sadda Haq won the Best Youth Show at Zee Boroplus Awards and Indian Telly Awards in 2014.

In 2012, he was one of the recipients of the Teacher's Achievement Awards, joining the likes of Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Prahlad Kakkar among others. He has also spoken in various TEDx conferences in colleges across India. He was one of the highest selling Indian authors in fiction. ^[7]

Personal life

Durjoy Datta was born and brought up in Delhi. He completed his schooling at the renowned Bal Bharati Public School, Pitampura, and went on to do his engineering from the prestigious Delhi College of Engineering (now known as Delhi Technological University). He did his post graduation from Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, and majored in marketing and finance. He started writing while he was still in final year of his college.

Career

Durjoy Datta's first book, Of Course I Love You! (co-authored with Maanvi Ahuja) was released in 2008 while he was twenty one and was still in college. It was based on his experiences at Delhi College of Engineering. The book was a coming of age story of an awkward, young, overprotected boy and how his life changes during the four years he spends at Delhi College of Engineering. The book was a sleeper hit of the year.^[8]

In August 2009, his second book, the sequel to the first book, Now That You're Rich!, was released and it borrowed heavily from his co-authors', Maanvi Ahuja's, experiences at an investment bank in Hyderabad. It debuted on various best-seller charts and though it sold well, the overall response was lukewarm. Durjoy had carried forward the two characters from Of Course I Love You, Deb and Avantika, in this book.

In the summer of 2010, his third book, She Broke Up, I Didn't!, released and was widely loved. This was the third book in the series of Deb and Avantika and charts their lives during their stay at MDI, Gurgaon, a management college after they are relieved from the investment bank they were working in.

Durjoy's fourth book was written while he was in Europe for four months in the winter of 2010. The book was named Ohh Yes, I Am Single!, borrowed heavily from Durjoy's life and was written jointly by Neeti Rustagi and Durjoy Datta.

After passing out from MDI, Gurgaon, in 2011, he co-founded Grapevine India Publishers with the vision of creating a platform for young authors.^[9]

His fifth book, You Were My Crush!, was published by Grapevine India Publishers in September 2011 It peaked at No. 3 on the Hindustan Times Bestseller and stayed there for three consecutive weeks.

If It's Not Forever!, Durjoy's sixth book released in February 2012 and was inspired from the September 2011 blasts in Delhi high court. It detailed a road trip a few friends take after they find a burnt diary at a blast site.^[10] The book opened at the No. 6 spot at the Hindustan Times^[11]

In the same year, Till the Last Breath, hit the book stands; the book was about two young people, a girl suffering from ALS, and guy whose systems are shutting down after years of drug abuse; the novel charts the last few months of their lives. it opened at No.3 on the Hindustan Times Bestseller list.

In February 2013, Someone Like You, a book he co-wrote with Nikita Singh, was released by Penguin India.^[12] It debuted at No. 5 at Hindustan Times Bestseller list. It was Durjoy's first book written from a female character's perspective.

Durjoy Datta's ninth book Hold My Hand released on 5 August 2013. The storyline encircles the love between Deep, a book geek cum scholar IT graduate & a blind girl named Ahana. Based in Hong Kong it reveals the natural beauty of blindness depicting the practicalities of blind person's life. The book was commissioned by Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Durjoy Datta has co-authored his books with Maanvi Ahuja, Neeti Rustagi, Orvana Ghai and Nikita Singh. He is one among the best selling writers in contemporary India.

Durjoy Datta is a regular at TEDx talks^[13] in colleges pan-India and is considered as one of the most aggressive and unabashed young authors. His columns have also appeared in popular blogs like Miss Malini and That's So Gloss.

Works

Books

• Of Course I Love You(2008)
• Now That You're Rich(2009)
• She Broke Up, I Didn't(2010)
• Ohh Yes, I'm Single(2010)
• You Were My Crush (2011)
• If It's Not Forever....It's Not Love(2012)
• Till The Last Breath(2012)
• Someone Like You(2013)
• Hold My Hand(2013)
• When Only Love Remains(2014)
• World's Best Boyfriend(2015)

Television Shows

• Sadda Haq (TV series) (Story, Screenplay)
• Veera (TV series) (Story)
• Million Dollar Girl (TV serial) (Story, Screenplay)

References

• Books Written By Durjoy Datta