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Decoding Bollywood: Stories of 15 Film Directors
Some like Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar had sterling antecedents but it took a tough childhood and intermittent assignments on film sets to win the box office with Om Shanti Om and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; while Ashutosh Gowarikar auditioned for folk dances and failed with his debut film, Lagaan created cinematic history; and Anurag Basu had to first dance as a background extra and later overcome cancer to witness Barfi win hearts and awards. These and other hitherto unfamiliar stories of directors belonging to the 100 crore club like Rohit Shetty and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra; the adventurous Kabir Khan; and the maverick, Mahesh Bhatt take us through the unusual lives of 15 filmmakers of extraordinary films.
Sonia Golani achieves the incredible by sitting each director down to candidly discuss the hype around the Oscars; the exclusivity of the 100 crore club ; effect of corporatization and much more. Decoding Bollywood is more about demystifying the world of Bollywood than a mere decoding of 15 directors who have created benchmarks in their respective genres for generations to follow.
Sonia Golani achieves the incredible by sitting each director down to candidly discuss the hype around the Oscars; the exclusivity of the 100 crore club ; effect of corporatization and much more. Decoding Bollywood is more about demystifying the world of Bollywood than a mere decoding of 15 directors who have created benchmarks in their respective genres for generations to follow.
- GenresNonfictionMedia Tie In
202 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2014
25 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Golani
10 books12 followersSonia Golani has a BA (Hons.) in History from Lady Shri Ram College and a Masters degree from the University of Delhi. An entrepreneur, she manages her firm, Management Consultants Group which specializes in recruitment of MBAs, CAs and other qualified professionals for Banking, Financial Services, Insurance and FMCG sectors.
Sonia had the distinction of securing second rank in Rajasthan State in class X Board examination. She completed ISC from Maharani Gayatri Devi Girl’s School, Jaipur and was the school topper. While in college at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi, she was elected as Treasurer, Students’ Union.
Sonia likes to tell enlivening and inspiring stories from within our milieu and has written 4 non-fiction books which are bestsellers, each on a theme of contemporary significance elucidated through stories of India’s super achievers from diverse domains.
Equipped with a fulfilling career of more than a decade as an entrepreneur in recruitment consulting, Sonia felt there was a paucity of books written in Indian context. She set out to bridge this gap by writing a book on women business leaders in India, the first of its kind. The book is titled Corporate Divas and was published by Penguin to much acclaim in October 2011. Corporate Divas brings forth the stories of 18 women business leaders and offers inspiring insights into what motivates and sustains them. It’s a useful resource for ambitious young professionals, especially women, aspiring for success in the corporate world. It explores what it takes for women to achieve pinnacle of success in their career.
Sonia’s second book My Life, My Rules was published in February 2013 by Amazon-Westland and soon after it was featured in Nielsen’s Bestsellers list. My Life, My Rules endeavours to challenge the idea of degrees & conventional careers as a measure of success and happiness in our society. All the individuals who have been covered in the book have had conventional success but they were missing happiness. That happiness came from doing the work they liked. ‘To do what you like is freedom. To like what you do is happiness’ can be said to be the tagline of the book. This book is an attempt at broadening the way our society thinks. By writing about people who have taken such calls in life, she has showcased their struggles, thought process and success stories which may inspire others who also want to follow such path.
Sonia’s third book, also published by Amazon-Westland, titled Decoding Bollywood is a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema. Through 15 riveting stories of Bollywood’s masterclass directors, Sonia demystifies the world of Bollywood.
Sonia’s 4th & the latest book, What After Money And Fame, published by Penguin covers 12 distinguished Indians who have achieved dizzying heights of success. Foreword to this book is written by Kumar Mangalam Birla. Through a series of in-depth conversations with them, she has attempted to explore what lies beyond material triumph for them; what is the measure of a life well-lived? What After Money And Fame earned glowing accolades from some of the leading people of our country like Adi Godrej, Amitabh Bachchan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Naina Lal Kidwai, etc.
When not reading, writing or managing the business, Sonia loves the outdoors, music and golf.
Sonia had the distinction of securing second rank in Rajasthan State in class X Board examination. She completed ISC from Maharani Gayatri Devi Girl’s School, Jaipur and was the school topper. While in college at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi, she was elected as Treasurer, Students’ Union.
Sonia likes to tell enlivening and inspiring stories from within our milieu and has written 4 non-fiction books which are bestsellers, each on a theme of contemporary significance elucidated through stories of India’s super achievers from diverse domains.
Equipped with a fulfilling career of more than a decade as an entrepreneur in recruitment consulting, Sonia felt there was a paucity of books written in Indian context. She set out to bridge this gap by writing a book on women business leaders in India, the first of its kind. The book is titled Corporate Divas and was published by Penguin to much acclaim in October 2011. Corporate Divas brings forth the stories of 18 women business leaders and offers inspiring insights into what motivates and sustains them. It’s a useful resource for ambitious young professionals, especially women, aspiring for success in the corporate world. It explores what it takes for women to achieve pinnacle of success in their career.
Sonia’s second book My Life, My Rules was published in February 2013 by Amazon-Westland and soon after it was featured in Nielsen’s Bestsellers list. My Life, My Rules endeavours to challenge the idea of degrees & conventional careers as a measure of success and happiness in our society. All the individuals who have been covered in the book have had conventional success but they were missing happiness. That happiness came from doing the work they liked. ‘To do what you like is freedom. To like what you do is happiness’ can be said to be the tagline of the book. This book is an attempt at broadening the way our society thinks. By writing about people who have taken such calls in life, she has showcased their struggles, thought process and success stories which may inspire others who also want to follow such path.
Sonia’s third book, also published by Amazon-Westland, titled Decoding Bollywood is a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema. Through 15 riveting stories of Bollywood’s masterclass directors, Sonia demystifies the world of Bollywood.
Sonia’s 4th & the latest book, What After Money And Fame, published by Penguin covers 12 distinguished Indians who have achieved dizzying heights of success. Foreword to this book is written by Kumar Mangalam Birla. Through a series of in-depth conversations with them, she has attempted to explore what lies beyond material triumph for them; what is the measure of a life well-lived? What After Money And Fame earned glowing accolades from some of the leading people of our country like Adi Godrej, Amitabh Bachchan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Naina Lal Kidwai, etc.
When not reading, writing or managing the business, Sonia loves the outdoors, music and golf.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 3, 2014
Bollywood is as integral a part of Indian life as is spicy food. We all love the glitz, the glamour and the over-the-top romances of our film industry. Everyday half the population of the country turns first to the colourful newspaper sections dealing with the personal lives of the stars we love before looking at national headlines. However, the ones who don't receive such open adulation are the masters behind the lens who actually orchestrate the whole film-making process and make our beloved actors shine - our movie directors. The real movie buffs and aficionados, like my husband, have always payed more attention to the director of a movie than to its stars. This book brings to life the directors of the much loved movies of recent times in an intimate chatty kind of way.
On receiving this book, I had to wait for a few days before my husband would hand it over to me. This book would have actually made a great coffee-table book since it is a wonderful conversation starter - namely, the ones that begin with 'Did you know?' How do I know this? Getting poked by your husband, who has a completely different set of tastes in reading material than you, just when you are at the cusp of falling into deep sleep with a question that begins with 'Did you know...?' gives you a unique insight into the curiosity-meter of a book - in this case, high enough to make an inherently intelligent man forget never to provoke a sleeping tiger(ess).
The book lends itself best to be read one chapter at a time, following them with references and discussions with friends and family of the movies that we all have seen. The narrative style is simplistic and easy on the brain cells, so even the so-called non-readers must not worry about picking up this book. The stories that unfold as each director talks about his/her initial struggles are in some cases truly inspirational. They are stories of incredible passion taking on the greatest odds and coming out triumphant in the end. It tells us how fickle the glamour world can be and how these people have picked themselves up from their very public, and often devastating financial, failures and tried once again to deliver the perfect hit. While reading about the different experiences of the directors another thing that comes across is the presence of people in the industry with an incredible eye for talent and the courage to stand up for what they believe is a worthy choice; for example, Aditya Chopra giving Kunal Kohli a chance to make Hum Tum after the phenomenal failure of Mujse Dosti Karoge. It somehow reaffirms your faith in mankind after all the horror stories one hears about those trying for a break in the Bollywood industry.
All in all, if you are a Bollywood lover, then this is a book tailor made for your bookshelves. The only drawback is, now you wish for a similar book written about 15 years ago with interviews with all the beloved directors that Golani missed.
On receiving this book, I had to wait for a few days before my husband would hand it over to me. This book would have actually made a great coffee-table book since it is a wonderful conversation starter - namely, the ones that begin with 'Did you know?' How do I know this? Getting poked by your husband, who has a completely different set of tastes in reading material than you, just when you are at the cusp of falling into deep sleep with a question that begins with 'Did you know...?' gives you a unique insight into the curiosity-meter of a book - in this case, high enough to make an inherently intelligent man forget never to provoke a sleeping tiger(ess).
The book lends itself best to be read one chapter at a time, following them with references and discussions with friends and family of the movies that we all have seen. The narrative style is simplistic and easy on the brain cells, so even the so-called non-readers must not worry about picking up this book. The stories that unfold as each director talks about his/her initial struggles are in some cases truly inspirational. They are stories of incredible passion taking on the greatest odds and coming out triumphant in the end. It tells us how fickle the glamour world can be and how these people have picked themselves up from their very public, and often devastating financial, failures and tried once again to deliver the perfect hit. While reading about the different experiences of the directors another thing that comes across is the presence of people in the industry with an incredible eye for talent and the courage to stand up for what they believe is a worthy choice; for example, Aditya Chopra giving Kunal Kohli a chance to make Hum Tum after the phenomenal failure of Mujse Dosti Karoge. It somehow reaffirms your faith in mankind after all the horror stories one hears about those trying for a break in the Bollywood industry.
All in all, if you are a Bollywood lover, then this is a book tailor made for your bookshelves. The only drawback is, now you wish for a similar book written about 15 years ago with interviews with all the beloved directors that Golani missed.
November 9, 2017
A comfortable and informative read giving glimpses on lives of 15 prominent directors. Not comprehensive, albeit casual conversations. Initial parts showcases how film families and contacts help grooming new actors/directors. Latter parts has contrary evidences.
Better entertainer than reading interviews from a film journal.
Liked Nagesh Kukunoor's part very much. And there were a few more good ones.
"Creativity is like a drug. It's addictive and you have to be constantly creating something new to feel good." - Anurag Basu
"As an actor on the set, I could see the compartmentalisation - how sound recordist was as important as Director of Photography, how costume design and art were important in a film, why colours could not clash, how actors who were technically so savvy that they understood a camera and knew how much to perform in a close or a wide shot." - Ashutosh Gowariker
"Unhappiness is a great motivator. If you are happy, you will never look at doing radically different things." - Nagesh Kukunoor
Better entertainer than reading interviews from a film journal.
Liked Nagesh Kukunoor's part very much. And there were a few more good ones.
"Creativity is like a drug. It's addictive and you have to be constantly creating something new to feel good." - Anurag Basu
"As an actor on the set, I could see the compartmentalisation - how sound recordist was as important as Director of Photography, how costume design and art were important in a film, why colours could not clash, how actors who were technically so savvy that they understood a camera and knew how much to perform in a close or a wide shot." - Ashutosh Gowariker
"Unhappiness is a great motivator. If you are happy, you will never look at doing radically different things." - Nagesh Kukunoor
January 10, 2015
Read to peep into the lives of the 15 creative heads of Bollywood
I am a bollywood person and I love to catch up page 3 activities.
When so much is written about film fraternity, we never get to read much about their struggling days. This book gives us a good peep into the life of 15 successful directors who love to entertain us.
The best part about the book is that the conversations are unpretentious, authentic and truly inspiring. We have often read interviews of actors, actresses, and directors in newspapers, magazines but this book is different.
For complete review-
http://manjulikapramod.com/2014/12/22...
I am a bollywood person and I love to catch up page 3 activities.
When so much is written about film fraternity, we never get to read much about their struggling days. This book gives us a good peep into the life of 15 successful directors who love to entertain us.
The best part about the book is that the conversations are unpretentious, authentic and truly inspiring. We have often read interviews of actors, actresses, and directors in newspapers, magazines but this book is different.
For complete review-
http://manjulikapramod.com/2014/12/22...
January 7, 2015
Emotional subtext of a film. Review of ‘Decoding Bollywood’
Nandita Das believes that ‘actors are perceived to be much larger than they really are. But direction is something that is far more challenging and fulfilling.’ So it is only right to say that a director in a film is the emotional subtext of whatever it is that viewers finally see on the screen. The book ‘Decoding Bollywood’ has chapters on fifteen film directors and has stories based on the interactions of Sonia Golani.
‘Sounds interesting,’ I said as I casually flipped the pages of the book and stopped when I read this quote in the one where the author was talking about Nandita Das:
‘I think I wouldn’t have been able to direct if I had not written it. Because I was so close to the subject and involved in every aspect that I was able to put it all together,’ she says.’
So I decided to read this chapter first. As I went on from one director to another, I began seeing a pattern in the chapters… they were all based on a single day interaction combined with a lot of collated facts. So yes, the book does give a bird’s eye view of a director and the interactions have resulted in quotes coming straight from them. Any reader would find a director’s view on something film-related as rather interesting and insightful. I mean, had the author just stated that direction is more challenging as compared to acting, a reader would rightly have dismissed it… but the same thing coming as a response from Nandita transforms the words into a thoughtful and analytical conclusion.
Where quotes are the strength of this book based on interviews and interactions, the weak point is the lackadaisical way in which the author has planned her questioning. At some places I got a feeling that the author was more interested in gathering facts than trying to probe into the reasons for a fact happening. For instance, Nandita Das gave ‘considerable time to both dramatics and Odissi, which she had learnt for twelve years’ but a phase came when she discovered ‘nakkad natak or street theatre’ and then reached out to ‘Jana Natya Manch or JANAM’ and as a result ‘became fascinated with theatre and more importantly, an effective tool for social change’. With such a past, Nandita is bound to have a lot of things to say on street theatre and the movement that was initiated by the late Safdar Hashmi. The chapter on Nandita, however, rushes on with the chronology and leaves a reader restless. Such lapses by the interviewer are unpardonable. I mean, it is fine to focus on every film she ever acted in or every film she directed… but her opinion on vital aspects connected to street theatre could have made the chapter meaningful. But they are simply not there. However, I still loved reading the stories of these fifteen directors as the chapters still had people like Nandita saying, ‘I’ll continue to act because I believe that acting requires much less time and energy and has its own charm.’ Look at such statements by Nandita Das and then read what Farah Khan has to say on actors, and you’ll know why I found the book interesting. Farah feels that ‘actors are far more disciplined now. They report on time and are aligned to the producer and director. Every film-maker today wants to wrap up the film in time – the faster you finish, the more money you save as your office runs for lesser duration and your payables are accordingly curtailed. It’s the basic rule of any business.’
...read the complete review on my blog (www.passey.info)
Review link: http://passey.info/2015/01/emotional-...
Nandita Das believes that ‘actors are perceived to be much larger than they really are. But direction is something that is far more challenging and fulfilling.’ So it is only right to say that a director in a film is the emotional subtext of whatever it is that viewers finally see on the screen. The book ‘Decoding Bollywood’ has chapters on fifteen film directors and has stories based on the interactions of Sonia Golani.
‘Sounds interesting,’ I said as I casually flipped the pages of the book and stopped when I read this quote in the one where the author was talking about Nandita Das:
‘I think I wouldn’t have been able to direct if I had not written it. Because I was so close to the subject and involved in every aspect that I was able to put it all together,’ she says.’
So I decided to read this chapter first. As I went on from one director to another, I began seeing a pattern in the chapters… they were all based on a single day interaction combined with a lot of collated facts. So yes, the book does give a bird’s eye view of a director and the interactions have resulted in quotes coming straight from them. Any reader would find a director’s view on something film-related as rather interesting and insightful. I mean, had the author just stated that direction is more challenging as compared to acting, a reader would rightly have dismissed it… but the same thing coming as a response from Nandita transforms the words into a thoughtful and analytical conclusion.
Where quotes are the strength of this book based on interviews and interactions, the weak point is the lackadaisical way in which the author has planned her questioning. At some places I got a feeling that the author was more interested in gathering facts than trying to probe into the reasons for a fact happening. For instance, Nandita Das gave ‘considerable time to both dramatics and Odissi, which she had learnt for twelve years’ but a phase came when she discovered ‘nakkad natak or street theatre’ and then reached out to ‘Jana Natya Manch or JANAM’ and as a result ‘became fascinated with theatre and more importantly, an effective tool for social change’. With such a past, Nandita is bound to have a lot of things to say on street theatre and the movement that was initiated by the late Safdar Hashmi. The chapter on Nandita, however, rushes on with the chronology and leaves a reader restless. Such lapses by the interviewer are unpardonable. I mean, it is fine to focus on every film she ever acted in or every film she directed… but her opinion on vital aspects connected to street theatre could have made the chapter meaningful. But they are simply not there. However, I still loved reading the stories of these fifteen directors as the chapters still had people like Nandita saying, ‘I’ll continue to act because I believe that acting requires much less time and energy and has its own charm.’ Look at such statements by Nandita Das and then read what Farah Khan has to say on actors, and you’ll know why I found the book interesting. Farah feels that ‘actors are far more disciplined now. They report on time and are aligned to the producer and director. Every film-maker today wants to wrap up the film in time – the faster you finish, the more money you save as your office runs for lesser duration and your payables are accordingly curtailed. It’s the basic rule of any business.’
...read the complete review on my blog (www.passey.info)
Review link: http://passey.info/2015/01/emotional-...
January 23, 2015
Hindi film industry located at mumbai formally known as Bombay, is the very reason the industry is name as Bollywood. B for Bombay and -ollywood to rhyme with Hollywood. The name of the Industry is not always appreciated by people who have eccentric passion for the industry, who thinks the Bollywood is the casual namesake rather than it’s legacy requires. Bollywood as a industry has it’s own story to tale, who can be better to tell industries ups and downs than it’s own characters? Such are the fifteen characters of Bollywood Sonia Golani has choosen to narrate the tale of Bollywood in her new book “Decoding Bollywood”.
The directors interviewed are like Anurage Basu, Mahest Bhatt, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Rohit Shetty etc. This directors are makers of different themes and Genres covering wide range of stories. But it was really insightful to know the pain of success and motivation to achieve something in life. There stories give us belief that anything is possible with some craziness in your approach and passion to your work. So what is there story?
The directors have the opportunity to narrate a story and create a unforgettable tale for people.Not every people have enough opportunity to bring such an impact in Individual’s life, such is sensational role of the director in todays industry. Author’s list of directors are synonymous to success and could bring wonderful insight in the life of director and people surrounding to it. Instead of telling action, they are subject of their life in this book. This type of theme interest me and knowing the lives of this great artist made me pick this book.
Read the Complete Review at Critichawk
The directors interviewed are like Anurage Basu, Mahest Bhatt, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Rohit Shetty etc. This directors are makers of different themes and Genres covering wide range of stories. But it was really insightful to know the pain of success and motivation to achieve something in life. There stories give us belief that anything is possible with some craziness in your approach and passion to your work. So what is there story?
The directors have the opportunity to narrate a story and create a unforgettable tale for people.Not every people have enough opportunity to bring such an impact in Individual’s life, such is sensational role of the director in todays industry. Author’s list of directors are synonymous to success and could bring wonderful insight in the life of director and people surrounding to it. Instead of telling action, they are subject of their life in this book. This type of theme interest me and knowing the lives of this great artist made me pick this book.
Read the Complete Review at Critichawk
November 26, 2014
Sonia Golani is known for her offbeat books like Corporate Divas and My Life, My Rules: Stories of 18 Unconventional Careers. Now, she is back with her third book “Decoding Bollywood: Stories of 15 film directors”. While she discussed about 18 not-so-conventional jobs in her previous book, in this book she has covered the stories of 15 Indian film makers.
Among the 15 names are Farah Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Kabir Khan, Anurag Basu, Nagesh Kukunoor, Nandita Das, Prakash Jha, Rohit Shetty, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Sudhir Mishra, Vipul Shah and Zoya Akhtar.
While one might expect this non-fiction to move on a monotonous way, we are in for a surprise as most of the stories are more of a casual and frank chit chat between the author and directors. Sonia has personally met each and every film maker and had got their stories. Instead of the routine interviewing session, this was more of a chit-chat session where the directors had revealed their dreams, troubles, and life stories.
Read more at: http://www.iamstri.wordpress.com/
Among the 15 names are Farah Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Kabir Khan, Anurag Basu, Nagesh Kukunoor, Nandita Das, Prakash Jha, Rohit Shetty, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Sudhir Mishra, Vipul Shah and Zoya Akhtar.
While one might expect this non-fiction to move on a monotonous way, we are in for a surprise as most of the stories are more of a casual and frank chit chat between the author and directors. Sonia has personally met each and every film maker and had got their stories. Instead of the routine interviewing session, this was more of a chit-chat session where the directors had revealed their dreams, troubles, and life stories.
Read more at: http://www.iamstri.wordpress.com/
July 18, 2024
I'm really glad that someone has tried genuinely to write the amazing and heart-touching stories of Bollywood's magnificent 15 filmmakers' passion and struggle to fulfill their dreams. All stories are interesting and very well written.
A must-read for every Hindi or English cinema lover.
A must-read for every Hindi or English cinema lover.
September 11, 2014
If you love watching Hindi movies, the book is like hitting a pot of gold. Read it particularly for the candid interactions with some of Hindi cinema's best filmmakers as they open up to the author about their early life, their struggles and how they came to realise their celluloid dream.
December 3, 2014
I picked it up with no expectations but the book surprised me,its got a great insight on film making from the Directors featured in the book.My personal favourites Mahesh Bhatt,Rohit Shetty,R Balki,Zoya Akhtar and Rakesysh Omprakash Mehra not in a particular order.
August 1, 2015
It is a must read. It is a great read. A fascinating book which has Bollywood directors talk about their views on the industry. Kudos to Ms. Sonia Golani for coming up with a brilliant idea and making it a brilliant book.
February 4, 2019
I read about 30% of this book before realizing that I'm not able to recall the things that I read about the directors.
Each chapter is a dedicated to one director. It contains the life story of the director which is brought out by the author's interviewing each director personally. I like how the author asks insightful questions to the directors, and how the responses are noted down with adjectives.
I read 4 chapters and then started getting bored. Perhaps, it is because I loathe the people who didn't have to struggle in life and I loathe directors who create movies that don't capture life or middle class's struggles in anyway and instead create movies that portray a very very wrong reality about life than what truly is. Or, perhaps, it was because it didn't feel like directors in chapter#3 and #4 were being genuine about "deep parts" of themselves.
However, that said, this was a good read. I learnt the names of 4 directors and got a glimpse of the movie making process inside Bollywood.
One striking thing was how these directors had film industry/theater/stage experience in their roots before they chose this path. Embarking on such a tough journey as working in the bollywood industry requires a lot of help from external factors. And in the case of these 4 people, their friends and families provided them with either contacts or exposure to create the initial stepping stones.
The author has done an incredible job of meeting all these directors personally and interviewing them.
Each chapter is a dedicated to one director. It contains the life story of the director which is brought out by the author's interviewing each director personally. I like how the author asks insightful questions to the directors, and how the responses are noted down with adjectives.
I read 4 chapters and then started getting bored. Perhaps, it is because I loathe the people who didn't have to struggle in life and I loathe directors who create movies that don't capture life or middle class's struggles in anyway and instead create movies that portray a very very wrong reality about life than what truly is. Or, perhaps, it was because it didn't feel like directors in chapter#3 and #4 were being genuine about "deep parts" of themselves.
However, that said, this was a good read. I learnt the names of 4 directors and got a glimpse of the movie making process inside Bollywood.
One striking thing was how these directors had film industry/theater/stage experience in their roots before they chose this path. Embarking on such a tough journey as working in the bollywood industry requires a lot of help from external factors. And in the case of these 4 people, their friends and families provided them with either contacts or exposure to create the initial stepping stones.
The author has done an incredible job of meeting all these directors personally and interviewing them.
March 1, 2021
This book is for everyone, people who want to have a glimpse into the lives of the fifteen most successful director, people who want to be inspired, looking at the lives of the ordinary people with no connections who made it big, and finally, people who in general looking out for a comprehensive brief biography of the people who are behind the camera and are behind the most successful films.
The book takes us to the bylanes of the early years, influences, and how these personalities landed where they are today. All these things factors make decoding Bollywood a very interesting read. The writer had made sure that she gives out information that is up to the point and crisp and did not drag it with the smallest of the details. At the end of every chapter, she has highlighted the quote from the celebrity which she found most inspiring.
In the age of the internet and google these magazines have lost their sheen and value, reading the book I was hit by the nostalgia when the film magazine published such kinds of interviews, seems like a donkey's years now.
In all, it's a light read that one can read in between or read during a short journey.
The book takes us to the bylanes of the early years, influences, and how these personalities landed where they are today. All these things factors make decoding Bollywood a very interesting read. The writer had made sure that she gives out information that is up to the point and crisp and did not drag it with the smallest of the details. At the end of every chapter, she has highlighted the quote from the celebrity which she found most inspiring.
In the age of the internet and google these magazines have lost their sheen and value, reading the book I was hit by the nostalgia when the film magazine published such kinds of interviews, seems like a donkey's years now.
In all, it's a light read that one can read in between or read during a short journey.
February 1, 2022
An honest account on what makes a movie work in tinsel town and the success enjoyed by different makers, the economies of film making and one can see reflections of directors such as Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra, Zoya Akhtar and Prakash Jha standing out. It's all about the conviction of the filmmakers on this so-called Hollywood hoopla that makes for an interesting debate. A very honest book on one's conviction as a filmmaker. Very well penned.
July 26, 2018
Good
Nice book gives perspective of different directors and there journey from start towards the big stage .good job by the author
Nice book gives perspective of different directors and there journey from start towards the big stage .good job by the author
July 28, 2018
Mostly good experiences
This book describe less about the learnings of the filmmakers. It is more like a summary than the whole story
This book describe less about the learnings of the filmmakers. It is more like a summary than the whole story
November 9, 2022
Bollywood is in crisis.
I re-read and completed this book by Sonia where she catches up with the Hindi film industry with stalwarts and new age successes who define the industry currently.
This book provides a glimpse into the lives of the fifteen of the most successful directors in the industry, inspirations for people providing brief biographies of the people behind the cameras and the brains behind some of the most successful Hindi films.
The book follows a nice template for each of the stories with a focus on the early years, initial influences, and their careers have panned out. The facts and titbits spread around makes this book an interesting read.
The book covers a lot of points about film making and is essentially a collection of the learnings that these successful directors have about movies and the business of movie making.
Where this book falls short is that for such an intriguing title and so many of the best heads in the business we do not find out about any definitive solution, yardstick or template for movie making in the industry. This was one aspect that the author could have targeted for when talking with these mavericks. What we get is a sum of many parts and this also in part tells us about the finicky nature of this business and the industry as a whole and brings me a whole circle back to the initial discussion at the start of this review; with this industry in crisis and movies, stars and directors not living up to expectations where does the industry go from here?
With this intriguing question I leave the readers who would read this review. Check out my blog for more about this crisis and how it seems to have developed.
I re-read and completed this book by Sonia where she catches up with the Hindi film industry with stalwarts and new age successes who define the industry currently.
This book provides a glimpse into the lives of the fifteen of the most successful directors in the industry, inspirations for people providing brief biographies of the people behind the cameras and the brains behind some of the most successful Hindi films.
The book follows a nice template for each of the stories with a focus on the early years, initial influences, and their careers have panned out. The facts and titbits spread around makes this book an interesting read.
The book covers a lot of points about film making and is essentially a collection of the learnings that these successful directors have about movies and the business of movie making.
Where this book falls short is that for such an intriguing title and so many of the best heads in the business we do not find out about any definitive solution, yardstick or template for movie making in the industry. This was one aspect that the author could have targeted for when talking with these mavericks. What we get is a sum of many parts and this also in part tells us about the finicky nature of this business and the industry as a whole and brings me a whole circle back to the initial discussion at the start of this review; with this industry in crisis and movies, stars and directors not living up to expectations where does the industry go from here?
With this intriguing question I leave the readers who would read this review. Check out my blog for more about this crisis and how it seems to have developed.
December 16, 2015
Mediocre book at best.
November 26, 2021
Nice one time read
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