Indian erotic fiction, and openness towards sex, boosted by digital tech and stories where the underdog takes control
Short, unconventional stories of erotica published on digital platforms and apps are driving new interest in the genre in India, adding to a growing conversation about sexual freedom taking place in the country
A young groom, Bharat, nervously awaits his wedding night. He has met his new wife, Shreya, petite with large, lovely eyes and a pouting mouth, only a few times, and only ever in their parental homes. They held hands and even had one small kiss, but nothing more. Tonight, he will properly make her his wife.
This is the premise of First Night, one of 12 erotic tales included in a series called “Forbidden Desires”, written by a Delhi-based writer under the pseudonym Nikita. The series is published by India’s forward-thinking publishing house Juggernaut via its app.
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Trisha Bora, the editor who handles Juggernaut’s romance list, says erotica is one of their hottest genres, accounting for 30 per cent of Juggernaut’s sales. Along with the popular Nikita series, office-based romances such as Swipe Right For Boss, which is part of journalist Sanjana Chowhan’s “Office Quickies” series, and the stories in the “Khushbu” series, which includes titles such as My Friend’s Hot Mom and Tried and Twisted, are Juggernaut’s top erotica sellers.
The stories are short and very affordable, costing as little as 30 rupees (50 US cents). But more than this, Bora believes that the format – digital stories that can be read on the privacy of a phone – are a big part of the series’ success.
“Mobile publishing has provided the best platform for erotic stories,” she says. “India is still pretty conservative about sex and it’s still a challenge selling erotic fiction in physical stores because people aren’t comfortable being seen buying or carrying around an erotic book. The phone, on the other hand, provides privacy, and so the mobile format works for the genre. Moreover, we publish our stories at night – the perfect time to wind down with some erotica.”
