The three Khans, Akbar, Amit and Chris, spelt their surnames differently but the Indian filmgoer still liked them. They were the uncrowned kings and superstars of the Hindi film industry. ‘Uncrowned’ meant there was no clarity about who was better than the other. This confusion was on display from the way they tried to run down each other in private and public.
Baba Ram Karim was everything rolled into one—a philanthropist, businessman, film financier, race horse breeder, educationist and much more. Some called him Don behind his back!
The three superstars indulge in ruckus and childish behaviour during Baba’s famous Iftar party where they were invitees. A furious and unhappy Baba plans retribution and calls it Khan Vs Kahn Vs Kanh.
Who doesn’t find interest in the spiced-up lives of the filmstars? There is more to this world of glamour than it seems to the normal people. And with the intention of voicing out those intricate details, ‘Khan vs Kahn vs Kanh serves the purpose. Three superstars, one mogul, and a chaotic encounter- that is what the book has in store for the readers. The plot revolves around three best actors of Bollywood, their accolades, their struggles and their life. All three of them hold the same pedestal- with a similar fan following and a similar approach to public stunts. But then one event changes the course of their lives.
This story is so much relatable as it showcases some of the most eminent controversies of our Bollywood. The author has successfully conveyed the message through the façade. In the beginning the readers might be skeptical about the story, but it doesn’t take long for them to realise that the author has a whole bag of tricks.
‘In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity’. ‘Khan vs Kahn vs Kanh’ is one such tale about three individuals who are in continuous struggle for fame and identity. In the race of proving their worth, they decide to stride on paths that can change the course of their lives forever. This is intriguing novella with a twisted plot and a good climax. The title is a bit puzzling but sounds perfectly apt once the pages are read. The cover design could definitely have been better; the blank canvas fails to attract the readers. I despised the font type and the formatting (typesetting). Following the standard rules could have been better.
The plot is gripping and the lucid narration acts like a cherry on the cake. The setting of the scenes is relatable and gives the readers ample opportunity to experience every moment. The use of vocabulary is splendid. I somehow felt that some of the chapters could have been pruned easily. Another turn off that I could find was the introduction to so many characters, all at once. The readers might be forced to flip the pages backwards and re- read the introductions. So many characters make the content baffling.
With fine editing and proofreading, this book is a complete package. Overall, this story is strong and emotional. A good read.
Sincere thanks to the author for presenting me with his new title for an honest review. As the title say, it is quite a less explored genre in Indian literature. Bollywood has always been one area which generated massive mass appeal in India. However, other than a few stray instances, Bollywood has never been used as the backdrop for a work of fiction. In this book, the writer does exactly that with great perfection.
The book gives an insight view of Bollywood to those who are alien to the industry. Also the author has done a tremendous job in terms building the characters.
The only scope of modification is regarding the volume of the book. Making it slimmer at some places could have increased the mass appeal.
However, overall the book is a must read for all followers and non-followers of Bollywood. Looking forward to the author’s coming works. Best wishes.
Extremely captivating storytelling. Narration is fantastic with the use of flowery language. Author's command over English is commendable.
Character sketching is brilliant. Emotions are well explored.
Descriptions are vivid and lively.
I loved the use of regional language where needed to express the story with more profundity, and also the presence of an exhaustive index for translation at the book's Appendix.
Artworks used in the book caught my interest a whole lot of times.
Such a wonderful depiction of the film industry is probably without any precedent, and this novel has every element to be a bestseller.
Khan vs Kahn vs Kanh is as interesting a book as its title. The title is very catchy and serves the purpose of arousing curiosity among readers. It took me a while to get accustomed to the names of all the characters and remember who is who as the names and backgrounds of the main characters seemed a bit confusing at the beginning. But once they were clear, I started enjoying reading the book.
It would not be wrong if I say that there is no specific protagonist or HERO in the book. Rather the story is the hero of the book which deals with the real life and struggles of the film stars.The book begins with the history of the Indian Film Industry around which the plot is woven and explores various human emotions with the help of an interesting storyline including three top film super stars having similar sounding surnames who have been ruling the Bollywood for the past two decades. The story deals with the human psychology and the fact about how success at times adversely affects minds of people and how super inflated egos result into unwarranted clash among them.
Main characters of the book are three actors with similar surnames who rule the Hindi film industry today. The author has very intelligently chosen the names of these actors. Though a disclaimer has been provided to avoid any confusion but it definitely does the job of attracting readers. There is another very interesting character in the book named Baba Ram Karim who plays a vital role in driving the story.
The narration style is simple yet lucid and the language is easy to understand. The research work done by the author is phenomenal.
As far as the cover of the book is concerned, I found it a bit bland. Considering the fact that the story revolves around Bollywood, the cover could have been more glamorous.
Overall I enjoyed reading the book a lot. What I liked most is the unique storyline which appeared quite refreshing. The book is highly captivating and is very well written. Recommended to all those who are looking for a refreshing read or are fans of Bollywood.
To begin with, I must give the disclaimer which is already been given by the author - The story does not resemble any of the Khans of the bollywood and none of the other characters resembles any of the living person though you may get some connect.
I must say honestly that I was stunned by the story line especially when the author claims that he has not visited any studio or sets to see film shooting but has given an extensive story line which is simply amazing. Though I felt that the length of the story may have been reduced to a little extent, I also understand that the story what I read is already a shortened one and hence I would not be judging the story on its length which may make it little boring.
What I liked the most is the uniqueness of the story. Having read not less than 1,000+ stories, I can certainly vouch that his story is really unique and I was taken by sheer surprise with the way the story was scripted with equal importance given to almost all the characters making it real difficult for any reader to find out who the real hero was :-)
You might also get little confused in the beginning as to who is who and to clear the doubt, I am giving few info here.
Manohar and Mumtaz - Parents of Amit. Salim and Nagma - Parents of Akbar Major Afzal Khan and Lena Fernandez - Parents of Chris
Now coming to the names to make you understand who is who.
Akbar Khan - Unmarried Chris Kahn - Married to Durga Amit Kanh - Married to Jenny
As you could see, there is a combination of religion among the names and characters which the author has handled it so beautifully without any mix up or confusion.
The story begins when these three Khans creates a ruckus at the Iftar Party hosted by Baba Ram Karim and he wanted to avenge his redemption for their unruly act. He masterminds a brilliant plan.
Did he manage to succeed in it?
Read this fiction and if you love movies, you would love this book for sure.
Story line is about Bollywood industry, revolving around three superstars whose surname sounds similar. The circumstances they go through, how even the success can cause thrash and problematic and one falls in mess. The journey of being a superstar, and working accordingly to your work on various ways. How the human physcology pretends certain fact about lives of people is showcased in the book. The book has begun with the history of how bollywood began.
The story line is beautiful, attractive and keeps the reader going. This book isn’t limited to any set of readers. Any book lover would just love reading this. The research work by the author is so beautiful, and the hard work has been fruitful