Grief, love, loss and resilience: Inside Sandhya Mridul’s ‘Untamed’

On Sunday, December 8, Sandhya Mridul launched her debut poetry book ‘Untamed’ in Kunzum Book cafe, Greater Kailash. The launch was soulful, emotional, and poignant, and her book and poems struck a chord in the audience’s hearts.
The discussion around the book was moderated by Mr. Deepankar, and was a celebration of art, resilience, healing, and self-discovery.
When asked why ‘Untamed’ came into being at this stage of her life, Sandhya’s response was candid and stirring. She shared how writing became a means to heal, a process that was both painful and necessary. “I just wanted to heal out loud,” she said, adding that for years she had tried to run from her pain. The book, she explained, was a way to confront and process her emotions, and it gave her a chance to share her vulnerabilities with the world, and try to inspire others to do the same.
She also added that grief was a driving force behind the collection. “I have lost a lot of people,” she said, “but Most of us don’t know how to grieve, and when it kept collecting, I had to process it somehow. That’s how the book came through.”
Sandhya shared that writing became her sanctuary, especially during the days of the COVID pandemic when the world moved into isolation. She recalled that she filled up diary after diary with her thoughts, and eventually those words and sentences transformed into poetry.

Deepankar then asked her if she was ever afraid to bare her soul in her work, and to this Sandhya replied “Not at all. I wasn’t scared for people to see who I am. I owned my vulnerability all the while.” And her honesty really struck with the audience as there were silent claps for her all around. Her voice was affirming, strong, powerful, and above all, it showed her true self and the warrior she had been.
When asked about what inspired the title of the book, ‘Untamed’, Sandhya replied that it was simply an expression of her spirit. She said that untamed was her way of not giving up, and how she hopes to remain untamed through her life.
The conversation then moved on to her career, and how a corporate girl made it into acting and poetry. To this Sandhya replied with pride that her entry into acting was accidental. She shared that even though she always wanted to pursue acting, there were different expectations from her throughout life. She shared that from a corporate life she was eager to make a switch and do something different, something that would help her grow. And her entry to acting was by chance when she encountered someone at a party, was invited for an audition the next day, and soon landed a part in one of her beloved shows.

The next topic of conversation was about love, and unrequited love more so, and Sandhya shared that it was important to feel everything in life, including heartbreak. She told the audience about her love for Bombay, meeting new people, meeting her soulmate, and then eventually parting away from it all.
The session concluded with a Q&A, where the audience shared their thoughts on the book’s raw beauty and emotional depth. When asked about the most challenging part of writing ‘Untamed’, Sandhya talked about the loss she experienced throughout life, and how the passing of her brother 3 years ago felt like the final chord that inspired the book and made her release the emotions.