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New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Love In the 21st Century
What happens when two ex-lovers, who once had a breakup because of their assumed incompatibility, meet each other through an AI-generated dating application called AILENA? Love has indeed found a new dimension in 21st-century India. Delhi author Stuti Changle's new book, Stars Will Guide You Home (HarperCollins), explores this phenomenon. In her words, 'I have spoken to friends, readers, and colleagues, and they narrated their experiences on multiple dating applications in their quest to find relationships. Hence, I thought of writing a novel where the protagonists would rely on an app to meet each other,' she says. Stars Will Guide You Home is a novel that dives deep into the complexities of human feelings. It offers an exploration of love that contrasts both timeless, traditional forms with contemporary expressions. Its protagonist Nirvaan is an IIT Delhi graduate. Nirvaan becomes a successful entrepreneur and comes back to Delhi to invest in a potential start-up at a funding event, and from that, his life starts taking a different shape. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and New York are important settings in the book, as the lives and rhythms of these cities shape the characters. It also speaks about ambition, as Kiana, Nirvaan's girlfriend, who comes back to his life, primarily leaves him because of her career choices. The book also talks about the connections that we make in our lives. 'In this fast-paced world, many have to leave the familiar. We try to make connections to replicate our homes in different cities. This book talks about how two people make their homes and they use every opportunity to build them.' Nirvaan and Kiana are opposites in nature. Nirvaan comes from a middle-class Old Delhi family, whereas Kiana hails from an extremely ambitious family that wants her to get settled by marrying an NRI. What both characters have is resilience. Standing tall against all the headwinds that a middle-class family faces, Nirvaan joins IIT Delhi and becomes a successful entrepreneur, while Kiana resists her parents and their demands to get her married. Changle's shelves are full of classic English novels. She takes inspiration from books and films she loves—Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea, the film Fight Club, and the books of Ruskin Bond. Changle has noted how romance between two people has been portrayed in the classics. 'For me, the idea of romance has always revolved around making an effort. Our classics teach us that. We now live in an age where romance can be perceived through sharing Reels. But the intent remains the same,' she says.
Business Standard
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
HarperCollins is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of 'Stars Will Guide You Home' By Stuti Changle
PRNewswire New Delhi [India], May 6: Bestselling Author Stuti Changle Returns who Inspired a Generation to Follow their Dreams returns with a Love Story for the Digital Age. This is not just a love story. It's a journey back home--to yourself. A tender reminder that even in chaos, love finds a way, and so do we. ABOUT THE BOOK Would you take a second chance at love if an app matches you up? Kiana and Nirvaan were inseparable--until family expectations tore them apart. A decade later, despite having successful careers, their hearts are empty. Then, AILENA, a cutting-edge AI-powered dating app, matches them with a near-perfect compatibility--without revealing their true identities. As their virtual bond deepens, past wounds resurface but love makes its way through their hearts until AILENA deems them incompatible and cuts their connection forever. What will they do: Trust the app or follow their hearts? Can their love survive the test of time and reality? Set in India and the US, this is a story of love reimagined in the digital age. In a world where we are constantly connected yet feel lonely, Stars Will Guide You Home is a love story for everyone--the ones who overthink, the ones who let go too soon and the ones still hoping for a sign. Stuti Changle, author, says, "I wrote Stars Will Guide You Home while grappling with the aching question of what 'home' truly means. Guided by something greater, like starlight lighting the way, I poured that journey into this story. It's not just a love story; it's a story about loneliness, heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery. Kiana and Nirvaan mirror the thoughts, feelings and desires of so many of us--searching for meaning, emotional safety, and real connection in a disconnected world. This book speaks to the heart of our generation: long-distance love, dating app fatigue, and the vulnerability of modern relationships. I'm deeply grateful to the HarperCollins India team for believing in this story. To see my fifth book take flight feels surreal and incredibly special--and I am very excited and looking forward to readers experiencing the story I've carried in my heart for so long." Rashmi Menon, Executive Editor - HarperCollins India, adds, "Some stories leave you thinking; others leave you feeling understood. Stars Will Guide You Home does both. It's a heartfelt, modern romance about the courage it takes to follow love--and find yourself--through life's uncertainties in a world increasingly shaped by AI. With unforgettable characters and poignant twists, Stuti Changle deftly explores the tender spaces between technology and emotion, love and loss, ambition and belonging, and offers readers a journey that's as emotional as it is relevant. She brings warmth and heart to every page, and writes with honesty, tenderness and insight. We are delighted to bring this powerful, resonant story to our readers." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stuti Changle is a national bestselling author whose words have inspired an entire generation of readers to chase their dreams. Leaving behind a corporate career, she set out on a journey to share life-changing stories with the world, one book at a time. Over 150,000 copies of her books have found their way into the hands of readers', touching more than 600,000 lives and making her a voice of hope, adventure and self-discovery. She is the author of You Only Live Once, On the Open Road, Where the Sun Never Sets, Make a Move Boxset and Lost & Found. Logo:
