IIT Bombay Alumnus authors India’s first psychological horror book based on Capgras delusion and mental illness

Bestselling author Faraaz Kazi and Big Boss celebrity Sushant Divgikar unveiled the book ‘As death stared back’ with an exuberant flavor

The book is based on a real life incident of a psych patient

Mumbai, 8^th November 2019: Bigboss 8 contestant and LGBTQ activist, Sushant Divgikar launched India’s first psychological fictional horror book ‘As death stared back’ written by author, Ex- scientist and IIT Bombay alumnus Ajinkya Bhasme, at the Bombay Adda, Mumbai. The book is based on a real-life incident of a psych patient where the author is creating awareness about Capgras Delusion and mental illness in India.

The chief guest for the launch, Bestselling author Faraaz Kazi in his educationally elaborate speech, mentioned about the power to break taboos and alleviate stigma about mental illness.

As death stared back, is Mr Bhasme’s second book in which he narrates a true psychological horror story which is a distinctive tale of a modern-day nuclear family whose life gets disrupted after the untimely demise of the man of the family. The book intends to drag the readers into the ocean of mental health of a single mother and her son when ten years later; a man stands at her doorstep claiming to be her dead husband.

Thanking the audience present at the launch, Ajinkya Bhasme said, “India is a place where mental health is not talked about openly and when it comes to Capgras delusion, the awareness just isn’t there. It is the least researched & the scariest syndrome which affects not only the patient but also the caregiver.”

He added, “This book is not like a textbook that only tells about Capgras delusion, it will take readers on an educational trip, in the darkness of human mind, and leave them there gasping for breaths, trying to figure out whether to believe the man who resurrected from the dead, who is gaining everyone's confidence or the mother and son whose sanity will be questioned for not believing in what they see.”

Discussing Mr Bhasme’s book, Sidharth Jain, Chief Storytellar, The Story Ink who has already read the book said, “I really appreciate the concept of this book and how Mr Bhasme has penned down the whole fictional plot. It is a masterful tale of the horrors of a human mind and the wretchedness of the soul. He has spun the plot like a spider web, with beauty and intricacy, where each strand seems individual, but when you look at the complete picture, it is all connected. Every word written in As Death Stared Back is very intelligently chosen to satisfyingly connect it to the end.

Ankit Bathla, Actor, Thapkipyarki, Vishal Furia, Director, Web series Criminal justice and other senior dignitaries from UPL were among those present at the launch.