‘100%, I’d love that’: Prajakta Koli on Netflix adapting her book, SRK inspiring her love for romance | Exclusive

FOr someone who reinforced her vocation in look of a photographic camera, actor-content creator and at present an author, Prajakta Koli has found an entirely new creative high through books and audio storytelling. Her debut novel Too Good To Be True not only struck a chord with readers but also expanded into the audiobook space through her collaboration with Audible, something she says came from a very personal love for the format.“So Audible—honestly, I will be very honest with you—I kind of jumped on the whole audiobook bandwagon quite late,” she says. “I mean, all my life I have always had my nose to a book. I have always enjoyed reading books, especially when I started reading romance books; that’s when this whole world of escapism kind of opened up, and I was like, ‘This is what I was waiting for, and this is what I have to do in my life.’”Prajakta says she often consumed the same story in multiple formats simultaneously. “So, for every book, I would have a Kindle edition, a physical copy, and an audiobook so I could keep switching between whatever I was doing and continue.”From Marvel to memoir-style narrationHer first major collaboration came through Marvel’s Wastelanders — a project she remembers fondly because of its connection to the Marvel universe. “Again, it was one of those things where everyone wants to, in some capacity, be part of the Marvel Universe,” she says.When it came to adapting Too Good To Be True into audio, Prajakta chose to narrate it herself instead of turning it into a dramatised production. “I mean, it is a straight narration; we haven’t dramatised it at all, which was an option that Audible and I were talking about,” she explains. “‘Do we want to fictionalise it? Do we want to adapt it to audio?’ I was like, ‘I want to keep that option open, but right now I want to do a straight narration.’”The reason, she says, was simple. “The only reason I did it is that I am not a director; if I had to cast someone to do this, I wouldn't know how to tell them to do it. So I was like, ‘It's just easier if I do it because I've already read it 70 times in my head.’”Will Too Good To Be True get a Netflix adaptation?Naturally, conversations around adaptations soon followed. Reports have circulated about Too Good To Be True potentially being adapted for Netflix, with the actor not only producing it but also starring it. Though Prajakta remains cautious. “We don't know that,” she says with a smile. “There is no comment.”But would she want to see it happen someday? “100% I would love to do that.”The success of the book was hugely validatingFor Prajakta, the success of the book has been both overwhelming and deeply validating, especially because writing was something she once lacked the confidence to pursue publicly. “I don’t think any part of my job is not overwhelming because you are constantly trying to get out of your comfort zone, trying new things, and some do well, some don't,” she says. “I am so glad the book did what it did, otherwise, I would not have the guts to ever pick up my laptop and sit down to write again.”She adds that recognition from readers and platforms has made the experience even more meaningful. “So while it is overwhelming, it is also hugely validating for someone like me to not just have comments on social media, but to have actual sales numbers and events like Comic-Con recognising a title by a debut writer. There is absolutely no credit I have to my name as a writer, but the fact that platforms like this come forward to put creators like me on a stage is huge.”Romance novels and finding the courage to writeRomance, unsurprisingly, remains at the centre of her storytelling identity. Prajakta says she discovered the courage to write only after immersing herself in romance novels.“I have always loved romance but never had the guts to publish or share anything I was writing,” she says. “When I fell into the rabbit hole of romance novels, it was like when we started making content and watched creators like Lilly Singh or Jus Reign to see how comedy sketches could be made. Romance novels showed me how I could tell these stories and what people like. I finally mustered up the courage to do it.”She is already working on more stories. “Listen, I am already working on a couple of them; they are overwhelming but exciting.”Why Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan & more shaped her idea of love storiesFor Prajakta, romance has always been more than just a genre. It shaped the way she consumed cinema growing up. She believes audiences still crave heartfelt love stories, even if the industry has become hesitant about backing them.“You know, like, ‘Yeah, this horror movie is going on, let’s write down a romance in it.’ ‘This thriller is going on, and then…’” she says, laughing. “At least for me, I always believe and have said, if I am the most generalised target audience… I am your sample of the most general group. So I am saying if I want to watch it, I am sure everyone else does too. Everybody I meet says there is not enough romance; everyone wants to see it, but no one is making or writing it.” While discussing romance in modern storytelling, Prajakta credits Bollywood’s iconic stars for shaping her understanding of love on screen. “We grew up on romance in Bollywood,” she says. “For me, all my orientation of film watching has always been Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Kajol, Juhi Chawla, Hrithik Roshan, and Shahid Kapoor.”What’s next for Prajakta Koli?Even with an already packed schedule, Prajakta shows no signs of slowing down. Her upcoming slate includes Operation Safed Sagar, Single Papa season 2, and the final season shoot of Mismatched. “It’s so exciting,” she says. “I am writing until June, then I start shooting Mismatched. I also have Operation Safed Sagar, where I have a small but beautiful character, and another project called Single Papa.”