Star power on bookshelves

What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you spot a book written by a Bollywood celebrity at your favourite bookstore? Are you excited to browse and learn more about what they have to offer? Do you lash out at them for taking up space when so many talented authors struggle to get their manuscripts published, or even read in the first place? Are you someone who couldn’t care less because you only read authors that you already like?

In April 2022, actors Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu launched Inni and Bobo Find Each Other — the first book in a series of children’s books that they have been working on. The character named Inni in these books is based on their daughter Inaaya, who is four and a half years old, and loves playing with animals. Bobo is the name of the dog that she adopts from an animal shelter. It is a heartwarming story, encouraging responsible pet adoption.

Working on this picture book with Puffin is not a vanity project for this couple. They have been volunteering with an animal welfare organisation called World For All for a few years. Their contribution is not limited to donating money. They have fostered, and adopted stray dogs. They also participate in “adoptathons” to encourage others who want to adopt. Their book emphasises that adopting pets requires time and dedication because “dogs are not toys”.

Earlier this year, actor-producer Tusshar Kapoor released his memoir Bachelor Dad: My Journey to Fatherhood and More. Published by Ebury Press, it is a tender account of how he prepared himself to become a single parent thanks to in vitro fertilisation and surrogacy. He writes at length about the support system that has helped him raise his son Laksshya. This includes not only his parents, sister, and friends but also doctors, nurses, and other single parents. The book challenges stereotypes about fatherhood and family because those are typically grounded in contexts where a child is raised by two parents — a woman and man.

Last year, Juggernaut published a book called Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Pregnancy Bible, which was a collaborative venture between the actor, author Aditi Shah Bhimjyani and several experts including gynaecologists and infertility specialists, a radiologist specialising in foetal medicine, a nutritionist, a pilates instructor, a paediatrician, a clinical psychologist, a dermatologist, an obstetrician, and two psychiatrists. The actor does not offer medical advice since she is not qualified to do that. She focuses on establishing common ground with her target audience. She writes, “I had the same paranoias as every other mom-to-be, the same crazy symptoms, the same fears. And I also had the same excitement, the same wonder too.”

Another Bollywood book that has garnered a lot of attention recently is called I Am Onir, and I Am Gay. Written by director-screenwriter-producer Onir, it was released by Penguin Random House during Pride Month, which is observed every year in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City — a milestone for the global LGBTQ rights movement. Onir’s co-author is his sister Irene Dhar Malik, who is an editor and screenwriter.

This book gives readers a glimpse of what it feels like to be out as a gay filmmaker in an industry that is opening up to scripts with LGBTQ characters but is still a place where few actors and filmmakers feel safe talking about their sexual orientation. The book is also about Onir’s childhood in Bhutan, his coming of age at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, moving to Mumbai for work, and his search for love in a city that is crowded and filled with loneliness.

The struggles of living in Mumbai to work in Bollywood also show up in actor Kubbra Sait’s debut as an author. She has written Open Book: Not Quite a Memoir, which was published by HarperCollins India in June. “I’ve ignored my instincts and rejected intuitions, giving in at times when I should’ve walked away with my head held high. The truth is that when you are starting out, you desperately want to fit in. You wear that outfit, make-up, blink and smile,” she notes. She also addresses the uncomfortable aspects of being a recognisable face. In her case, this meant questions about her gender and sexuality after playing a trans character.

I am an avid moviegoer but what I enjoy even more is reading books by people who make movies. These books reveal new aspects of who they are behind the make-up and beyond the glamour. The amount of disdain hurled at them surprises me. I wish people would make the effort to pick up a book, and assess it on its own merit. Being famous does not make celebrities immune to unwarranted criticism. Everybody wants to be treated with kindness.