Rediffusion's Bharat Lab (in partnership with Lucknow University) has unveiled a tome ‘Mera Pehla Pyaar’ on romance, first love, marriage and more, exploring the complex nature of love in its numerous dimensions with insights from sociologists, litterateurs, anthropologists and consumer researchers.
The book was released by the Hon'ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Anandiben Patel and Prof Alok K Rai, Director, IIM Calcutta , over the weekend.
“Mera Pehla Pyaar has taken us over 18 months of hard work and research. A team of nearly two dozen professors and consumer analysts met young couples, interviewed them, collated and analysed their responses. The stories in the book are first-hand narratives. The book has been published as a bilingual to preserve the authenticity of narrations and so as also not to lose the flavour of what was being conveyed,” says Dr. Sandeep Goyal, co-Chair of The Bharat Lab.
That love is one of the most powerful and universal human experiences, shaping our lives from conception through various relationships is a given. With chapters on love in diverse cultures and climes down the ages, the book explores love in its different forms – romantic, platonic, familial, spiritual and self-love – each vital to personal growth and emotional depth. The stories, both in English and Hindi offer a glimpse into contemporary Indian society and its ongoing transformation – how relationships are getting ‘twined and untwined. And intertwined.’ Capturing the full gamut of emotions linked to love, the stories highlight that though often blissful and inspiring, love can also bring sorrow and longing in its wake. The book also includes verses, and more, from renowned poets on love.
The book has been put together by Lucknow University professors and Team Rediffusion in a unique coming together of academia and advertising. Published by Stature, this bi-lingual book has 20 real life stories and has been edited by Prof. Avanindra Chopra assisted by Prof. Keya Pandey & Dr. Ansh Sharma.
“The book offers many interesting insights on how love, romance and marriage are getting re-shaped in an era where individuals are time-scarce and old-world concepts like love-letters are almost extinct and romances are initiated and most times terminated on WhatsApp. We already have a lot of interest from many brands who want us to share our research and analysis on the new Bharat and its younger generation,” adds Carol Goyal, Executive Director at Rediffusion. The book will soon be available on Amazon and Flipkart.
