Bollywood has become synonymous with money and fame; the stories of young actors, struggling to make it in the industry only to later blossom as wonderful actors, are all that we hear about the stars. Little do we know about the effort, conscious and subconscious that go into the making of such a star.
With examples from eleven different Bollywood stars' life, Priyanka Sinha Jha brings about a new dimension wherein she highlights the important qualities in each actor which propelled them forward to make them the star they are now. Big B's Discipline, King Khan's Passion, Vidya Balan's Reinventing Mentality, Aamir Khan's Pursuit of Perfection, Katrina's Perseverance, John Abraham's Enterprising nature, the Maximal Focus of Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya's Grace, Hrithik's Mental Resolve, Karan Johar's Tact and Sallu bhai's Generosity are the main qualities covered in the book.
The main selling point of this book is definitely the fact that every commoner can relate with it. Every person at some time or another has dreamed of becoming a superstar as the grandeur and fame that surrounds the mystic profession draws us towards it; however, this book paints the actual picture of becoming a superstar: hardwork and excellence. With humorous and quirky anecdotes from the real lives of the reel actors, Priyanka Sinha Jha has made even a simple man appreciate the pain and effort put in by each actor to achieve their goal.
While the entire book was a good read, it was the little known actor stories which I cherished reading more. Though this doesn't indicate that the stories of the big-shot ones were written poorly, just the fact that Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh and Aamir Khan's stories are a bit too popularly known anyway. Out of the rest, I felt Hrithik Roshan's will and determination to change his fate from being speech impaired to one of the greatest actors of modern Bollywood definitely takes the cake. I would love to see a second book under the same banner and theme to come out with some lesser known actor stories like that of Boman Irani and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and that of the old and gold Kapoors,
if the author could manage it.
The main selling point of this book is definitely the fact that every commoner can relate with it. Every person at some time or another has dreamed of becoming a superstar as the grandeur and fame that surrounds the mystic profession draws us towards it; however, this book paints the actual picture of becoming a superstar: hardwork and excellence. With humorous and quirky anecdotes from the real lives of the reel actors, Priyanka Sinha Jha has made even a simple man appreciate the pain and effort put in by each actor to achieve their goal.
While the entire book was a good read, it was the little known actor stories which I cherished reading more. Though this doesn't indicate that the stories of the big-shot ones were written poorly, just the fact that Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh and Aamir Khan's stories are a bit too popularly known anyway. Out of the rest, I felt Hrithik Roshan's will and determination to change his fate from being speech impaired to one of the greatest actors of modern Bollywood definitely takes the cake. I would love to see a second book under the same banner and theme to come out with some lesser known actor stories like that of Boman Irani and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and that of the old and gold Kapoors,
if the author could manage it.
Bytes and Banter Verdict : A Piece Of Art - 4/5
The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.
