King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema

by Anupama Chopra

Here is the astonishing true story of Bollywood, a sweeping portrait about a country finding its identity, a movie industry that changed the face of India, and one man's struggle to become a star. Shah Rukh Khan's larger than life tale takes us through the colorful and idiosyncratic Bollywood movie industry, where fantastic dreams and outrageous obsessions share the spotlight with extortion, murder, and corruption. Shah Rukh Khan broke into this $1.5 billion business despite the fact that it has always been controlled by a handful of legendary film families and sometimes funded by black market money. As a Muslim in a Hindu majority nation, exulting in classic Indian cultural values, Shah Rukh Khan has come to embody the aspirations and contradictions of a complicated culture tumbling headlong into American style capitalism. His story is the mirror to view the greater Indian story and the underbelly of the culture of Bollywood.

"A bounty for cinema lovers everywhere." -- Mira Nair, Director, The Namesake and Monsoon Wedding

"King of Bollywood is the all-singing, all-dancing back stage pass to Bollywood. Anupama Chopra chronicles the political and cultural story of India with finesse and insight, through fly-on-wall access to one of its biggest, most charming and charismatic stars." -- Gurinder Chadha, director of Bend it Like Beckham

"The "Easy Rider Raging Bull" of the Bollywood industry and essential reading for any Shah Rukh Khan fan." --Emma Thompson, actress

"Anu Chopra infuses the pivotal moments of Shah Rukh Khan's life with an edge-of-your-seat tension worthy of the best Bollywood blockbusters." -- Kirkus

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, India, Film, Media Tie In, History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually when Netflix recommends me a movie, I don’t even bother giving it a try. I have so little time and so much to do. Heck, I barely watch ten movies a year as it is. But last year, Netflix recommended me a Mexican movie. For some reason, I decided to give it a go. And I absolutely loved it. So much so that I already watched it twice. Since I loved that movie, I thought: why not try something new for a change? I decided to watch a Bollywood movie for the first time in my life.


I watched a movie called Om Shanti Om, since Netflix assured me that I’d like it. Of course I did. Now, it’s nothing special per se. It’s completely over the top and basically overacting with a lot of singing and dancing. But it’s a very fun movie. It’s the kind of movie you can watch when you’re feeling down, and it will magically put a smile on your face. The leading actor in that movie is a man called Shah Rukh Khan. And he intrigued me because he’s actually a very famous and even beloved person in India, not just a regular actor. So I bought this book to find out a little bit more about him.


What I really appreciate about this book, is that it starts with a quick intro to Bollywood and Hindi movies in general. The author doesn’t assume the reader already has a basic knowledge about this type of movies and even the Indian movie culture in general. And I definitely learned some things in this section. Like how Bollywood was influenced by Indian theater, which is why there’s so much overacting, and songs and dances. How movie stars in India are like rock stars. What the foundations are of a good Bollywood movie. Why this genre of movies became so immensely popular in India. And how Bollywood movies are gaining popularity all over the world.


Once the intro is over, we slowly move on to the main attraction of this book: Shah Rukh Khan. This book introduces him as: “King Kahn” and “a modern-day god.” And his popularity in India is described as: “bigger than Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt combined.” Now that’s a description that immediately grabs my attention. And if you Google his name and “fans,” you see some selfies of him taken from the balcony of his home in Mumbai, with a whole sea of fans just trying to catch a glimpse of their idol. There’s so many of them, it’s just ridiculous. So it’s not like this book is exaggerating anything when it describes his popularity. The book then goes on to explore his origins and the roots of his popularity. And it details the journey of how he became both the face and the catalyst of the consumerist society in India.


One interesting fact that managed to draw my attention over the course of Shah Rukh Khan’s journey to fame, is that he became Bollywood’s biggest romantic icon without ever locking lips with a co-star. And the book takes its time to properly explore the history of kissing, or rather lack thereof in Hindi movies in general, to it becoming all the rage.


Definitely a very interesting and informative read. More than just a Shah Rukh Khan biography. It even touches upon the darker side and history of Bollywood. Admittedly, I did read this book from an outsider’s perspective. And as a person who doesn’t know much about Bollywood movies, I do appreciate that there is a solid and lengthy introduction to the Indian movie culture. The book even takes its time to detail some aspects of Indian culture in general, particularly about Mumbai. Though I would have appreciated a bit more focus on specific films, so that I would know as a non-fan which Bollywood movies are worth watching, and more importantly: why. Because the book does specify some movies. But those little trivia moments always left me thinking: “cool. But is it a good movie?”

[miaaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do I know about Shah Rukh Khan?

Most will remember him for his most famous acts as a lover-boy, notably in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, but I would never forget the chills that made me shivers when I watched him in Darr (Fear) as a disturbed young man, an obsessive stalker, who played the game of 'she loves me, she loves me not' whilst walking on the ledge of a tall building. Or I'd never forget how in Asoka he killed his half-brother to be the emperor and then embarked a ruthless territorial expansion across India.

However, it seems that most of his attempts to get out of his lover-boy status the likes of Raj-Rahul (DDLJ and KKHH respectively) were considered a failure as audience around the world loved him too much to let him be anyone else but those characters. Pity, as SRK himself said,

"Cinema is a mishran (mixture) of Laksmi (the goddess of wealth) and Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge). I've always gone for Saraswati and Laksmi has followed. I may be stubborn and an idiot, but it works for me. I know this is business but I will always dole out art."

***

Orang mungkin akan selamanya mengingat Shah Rukh Khan di film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) dan Kuch Kuch Hota Hai tapi bagiku, kedua film itu standar India dengan kisah cinta dan tarian. Aku lebih terkesan dengan karakter yang dimainkah SRK di film Darr (Fear) (anak muda bermasalah dan posesif) dan Asoka seorang raja yang melakukan ekspansi berdarah dalam memperluas wilayahnya.

Mungkin harus berterima kasih pada ibuku, yang sangat menyukai film India dan memberiku dua pilihan: ikut nonton atau mengerjakan PR (saat itu sejumlah stasiun TV Malaysia yang sinyalnya tertangkap di kota P. Siantar, Sumut, memutar film-film India terbaru). Berkat ibuku aku mengenal Mithun, Amithab dan tentunya SRK.

Buku ini memberikan banyak informasi berharga mengenai dunia di balik Bollywood yang terkenal itu. Dan bagaimana SRK harus mengalami banyak hal sebelum meraih posisinya sekarang sebagai Raja Bollywood. Menarik.


--------------------
Covernya ungu! *lirik Harun*

[Nisha Joshi (swamped, will review whenever possible) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is no secret that I am a die-hard SRK fan but this book was...meh. It didn't tell me much I didn't know already. Plus, the first 25% took me toooooo long to complete. Only after SRK enters the picture does this book pick up pace.

3 stars.


Edit: Now that I've had some time to think about the book, here are some more of my thoughts.

When I picked up the book, I was expecting to read something about SRK's interpersonal relationships. Sure, the book touches upon the topics of his friendship with Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar but what was his equation with his co-actors? The Shah Rukh Khan - Kajol pairing is one of the most legendary in Bollywood, akin to Raj Kapoor - Nargis. But surprisingly, there is very little written about SRK and Kajol. Similarly, SRK enjoyed good partnerships with Juhi Chawla (Duplicate, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, and the classic Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman), Rani Mukherjee (Chalte Chalte, fleeting appearances in K3G and KKHH, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna), Preity Zinta (Kal Ho Na Ho, Veer Zaara, and some fleeting connection during the initial IPL matches), and Priyanka Chopra (Don). He also had a blow-hot-blow-cold relationship with Salman Khan and there was a grapevine suggesting a rivalry between the Shahenshah (Amitabh Bachchan) and the Badshah, especially when SRK stepped into the former's shoes to host Kaun Banega Crorepati. As this book is written by an eminent Bollywood film critic (Anupama Chopra is known for her incisive reviews and interviews with celebrities), I was hoping to gain more insight into their lives. Instead, at many places, the book read like a history book - a political one at that.

As to this point, there are (seemingly unnecessary) mentions of a Muslim superstar in a Hindu-dominant nation. I'm sure neither SRK (who played and achieved fame for playing predominantly Hindu characters (Raj and multiple Rahuls) and is married to a Hindu woman (not converted yet) AND is raising secular children) or the audience who went to see DDLJ in the theatres for 20 years, thought his religion mattered much. Why bring it up so many times?

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my review at Beth Loves Bollywood

In case you missed it, back in July before the book came out, several bloggers from the US and Europe participated in a marathon discussion of the book with author Anupama Chopra.

My hat is very much off to her for agreeing to such a rambling project, and she answered questions respectfully and with humor, an approach I always appreciate.

Now that I've had time to mull the book over - I was reading frantically right until I sent my questions in - I don't think I have much more to add to what was discussed in that post or to what other reviewers since then have said. It's an engaging, straightforward book, combining personal, industry, city, and cultural history. In its strongest moments, it made me feel like I was teleporting with the author, getting a personal tour as we zoomed through time or lurked around movie sets and stars, overhearing their thoughts.

Chopra avoids dull, rote listing of events in SRK's childhood and student days, and while it's clear she's a fan, she's not a suck-up, either. Her style of writing falls in the "analytically affectionate" category. She doesn't pretend to be unbiased, and because she tends to focus on "why SRK's performances resonate with such a wide and varied audience" rather than on "why SRK is the best actor EVER!!!!!!!!!!" her approach works nicely. She's thorough without gushing, and that's hard to do. I feel similarly about her tone in writing about the film industry - she's got fascinating, insider-sounding information, but she's not smug about it, nor does she condemn people for mob involvement, nepotism, making low-brown films, etc.

I am heartbroken that Chopra does not footnote her work. Each chapter contains a list of references, but facts, assertions, and opinions are not cited. I have spent almost all of my adult years in a university, both as a graduate student and now employee, with research as one of my major job responsibilities, so forgive me when I gripe that the failure to link ideas to their source, which would be so easy to do, renders this book almost useless to scholars. Of course, scholars are only a tiny fraction of the potential audience, but the problem is bigger than that: clearly anyone who reads this book is curious about the topic, so why not give us the tools to keep digging? It also means that a reader could very easily - and fairly, I think - decide not to trust what she says. The book is full of great stories, but how does she know them? Especially when a quote or description of an event sounds almost too filmi to be true, a citation would give the reader some more confidence that the narrative is, in fact, what we hope it is. (For example, she tells the story of a 25-year-old SRK standing on the Marine Drive overpass declaring "One day I'm going to rule this city" [page 67] - completely delightful and resonant with a star persona, but is it true? If he told her this story, then admitting that would help us understand that it might have been embellished a little or remembered as fuller of big emotion than perhaps it really was. He is a good storyteller, after all.) A story like SRK's needs all the backup it can get; as the author herself says, it's "a dramatic show-biz success story" (page 11), the kind that's easy to get swept up in, and he's obviously the kind of person(a) that can bring out the fanatic in those who like him. I said in the previous paragraph that she was thorough; I guess I should have said that her writing strikes me as thorough, since I don't know with absolute certainty how she got each bit of information, nor could I follow up on it myself. I wish I had asked her about the rationale for this decision when I had the chance. The reference lists are impressive, though, and they include books on film, newspapers and magazines from India and abroad, tv shows, screenplays, and production company websites. She also lists the people she interviewed; I'd like this even more if she annotated the list to explain who everyone is.

Maybe this complaint says more about me than it does about the book, but it's my book report, so too bad. I may be hot-pink in love with Bollywood, but I'm also a librarian, a bookworm, and a child of historians. I need for this passion to stand up to the kind of critical thinking that I try to apply to the other things I'm interested in, and this book doesn't help me as much as it could have.

Wow, how un-filmi was that?

I also wonder why the book's subtitle says "Indian cinema" when it's really just about Hindi cinema. Was that an attempt to make the topic more recognizable for potential readers who don't know what Hindi is?

As I read the book, pen in hand to mark passages and record my comments, I drew a star at the bottom of any page that I thought contained an interesting question, a conclusion worth debating, an insight I wanted to explore further, or simply a great story that very effectively illustrated her point. My copy is littered with stars, and there were so many moments while reading that I wanted to phone up the other people who were also in the group discussion and ask them what they thought of x or y passage. Chopra has a real way with words, putting her finger squarely some important ideas and describing this "seductive world" so accurately and resonantly - "Hindi cinema is a necessary comfort and a collective expression of hope" (page 8), "Shah Rukh's keynote [as an actor] was innate buoyancy" (page 59), "A superstar was created because the audience was ready for him.... It was almost as though, starved of a god after Amitabh, the audience had already decided to make Shah Rukh the next idol" (page 100). The book, like its subject, is generous with emotion and entertainment. Even if it doesn't always live up to what I want in a study of Bollywood and its context, King of Bollywood is a perfect match for its subject, and that makes for a great read.

Update to post (September 10, 2007): I forgot to mention that I have a preview copy of this book, so there might be things missing in mine that made it into the final version. For example, I just read over at Memsaab Story that there are photos, but mine doesn't have any.

[Sameer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read for persons not aware of SRK and Bollywood inside out. Not so interesting for Bollywood freaks. Okay read!

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story. After watching Om Shanti Om, My daughter and I became enamored with Bollywood. We have watched just 10 so far, mostly Shah Rukh Kahn's movies. The genre is fantastic! All types of stories with music and dancing. And they are wholesome, more than I can say about most American movies today! So we investigated the reasons behind the movies, I.e.. No kissing, the length and have learned so much about the Culture. But after watching I Am Kahn, and finding out the REAL story behind this movie that happened to 'the shah'...TWICE...when coming to the US, I had to read more.

[S. Wigget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very light read, but it's not mere celebrity gossip. Much of it is a biography on Shah Rukh Khan, yet it's informative about modern India, Indian film history, and Bollywood's significance to Indian culture. It's also fun to read. If you want to learn about Bollywood, this book is a good choice.

[suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

VAY! I loved this book of course, because I love SRK. I've been a lifetime Prince fan, and SRK has always reminded me of Prince in some way. After reading this I know why. The similarities of a rough childhood, natural talent, a strong ability to identify with their feminine side, accusations of homosexuality(to clarify, I think people confuse Prince's flamboyant tendencies for homosexuality, but any true follower of his craft would never make that mistake; while it appears that SRK has had actual rumors concerning being involved with men, which Prince has never had) insomnia, and I believe somewhat maniac tendencies are what theses guys share.

I loved all the sources the author had and now have a better understanding of the timeline of his life and what was going on in real life when various movies were filmed. The mafia threats were/are frightening. His physical problems from the work; e.g. ruptured disc in his back and knee surgery were new to me.

The part about the filming of “Devdas” and how SRK drank during filming was interesting. Even more interesting was that part about Salman Khan lurking around the set yearning for Aishwarya Rai, and their on the rocks romance was very sad, and how SRK allowed him to step in a show how he’d do the scene where Paro gets the thorn in her foot removed by Devdas. Too sad! What a gentleman SRK was to allow Salman to do this. Classy!

I would have given the book 5 stars had the author included a filmography. I wonder why she didn't? My friend Nancy who read the book thinks that perhaps it's because the author was trying to paint a broader picture of the man who SKR is beyond the films. I think she's right.

[Mayank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming from a popular film critic, the book talks about evolution of 'Bollywood' in parallel to rise of Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) in the 90s.
You don’t find anything new about SRK here which has not been documented or talked about before in numerous articles and interviews. The book never attempts to be an SRK biography. It maintains an enigma around him- his philosophy, his personal equation with his family and friends.
But the notable film critic adds some charm and some passages stand out like the first chapter which suggests what SRK means to a fan. Being an insider helps and she brings out her understanding of the Film Industry. This book is more about Film Industry and its audience than about SRK.
Overall an easy read.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter was the best! You can read that here.

It talks about an American-born desi who gets to share 30 minutes of stage time with SRK and a club of Bollywood fans in South Korea who love SRK.

Fun read.

[Imas · Rating 3 out of 5]

King of Bollywood. Shahrukh Khan, aktor ganteng dari Bollywood, dengan film-film yang laris manis hingga ke Indonesia. Melalui buku ini, dapat diketahui bagaimana dunia seni peran di India berjalan Bagaimana industri film memperlakukan para artis dan perjuangan yang mereka lewati.


Bahkan Shahrukh Khan juga perlu kerja keras dan berjuang mendapatkan apa yg dia raih.

[Aria Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this highly interesting book, journalist Anupama Chopra manages to offer readers a biography of SRK, who has been India's most popular actor during the last 20 years, as well as an insightful history of Bollywood (its codes, economy, stars, highs and lows), both intelligently used to shed light on Indian society and its mutations.

The chapters are organized chronologically, following Shah Rukh's life from childhood to superstar status. The most important events in his personal and professional life (note that the book was written in 2007) are described and contextualized to make them relevant for an understanding of the hindi film industry and the Indian world.
The first chapter is actually about NRIs (Non Resident Indians: Indians from the diaspora) and their love for SRK as well as their attachment to the homeland. The author has a way for linking the small and the big story.
My favourite chapter was "Mobsters and Movies", where we learn more about the relation between Bollywood and the underworld, about infamous dons and the 1993 terrorist attacks, and about undesired and uncomfortable (and scary) calls that SRK received from the man behind the blasts.

The narration is smooth and well-organized despite the multitude of names and films and events mentioned - all explained for the readers inexperienced in Bollywood and Indian matters at large, while keeping their interest for those who already have some knowledge.

This book provides plenty of information about Indian culture, cinema and society, as well as about SRK of course, and I would highly recommend it even if you don't know anything about Bollywood or India. Be curious, and you'll discover a fascinating world, a multifaceted country, an underrated film industry and a unique, witty and moving actor.

[Corinne Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I just read a book about Bollywood and one of it's major supastarzzzz. Yes, I enjoyed it. I read it mostly to learn about dear Shah, whom I have watched lately in two VERY different roles and enjoyed both times. The book seems to be a fairly balanced look at his life and how it fits into the incredibly intricate and dramatic (um I'll say it again: DRAMATIC) world of Indian cinema. It's like jumping into an alternate universe, in some ways, with so many unfamiliar people and places, but I found it totally enjoyable. If you don't care about the subject, I'd imagine it would bore you, but since I happen to be a fan of emotional dramas, crazy rocking dance scenes and epic stories involving reincarnation, murder and disco - it was a fun enough read for me. Plus, I have a new list of movies I want to see and songs I want to hear :)

[adin · Rating 5 out of 5]

got this book last week .. bought it for rp.20000 only :D ..

after read this book, i began to understand more about SRK's life. before he became the bollywood king and after.
tho, i cant believe that he had through a very hard struggle. he started his carrier from the bottom. his family isnt come from movie star family but he wanna be a superstar someday.
his love story is like in movie too. ha, how come that SRK loved gauri so much ?? this book is the answer.

and u know what, SRK is being called by a terrorist. but he never get a threat cuz he's a muslim. sounds weird ?? NO !!!!

if u wanna know how SRK is, how's his life before and after this, u definitely have to read this. if u called urself the big fan of mr.SRK, then u should BUY this. its a MUST :D !!

I LOVE HIM !!!!! XD

[Siera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! Not only was it very entertaining but also extremely informative. Besides being a look into Shah Rukh Khan's life (which is WAY more interesting than I thought) it was also a great insight into the history of Bollywood and Indian cinema. I do wish that there had been more information about Kajol and Shah Rukh though. Even in the sections that talked about DDLJ and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kajol was barely mentioned. As a big fan of Kajol, I didn't really appreciate that. But overall, this is a very interesting, entertaining and well written book that left me with a giddy-happy feeling (and a HUGE need to watch some Bollywood).
Highly recommended! :)

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Bollywood, this is a definite read. Anupama Chopra delves into the life of one of the most famous faces of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, going from his meager beginnings and his dreams to become the next Amitabh Bachchan to going a long road to make all of his dreams come true, overcoming obstacles such as a first difficult relationship with his future wife's family to even the Indian mob. While delving mainly in SRK's life, Chopra gaves some great tidbits on other famous faces in Bollywod, from Yash Chopra to Hrithik Roshan to Aishwarya Rai. As a fan of Bollywwod, this is definitely a must read.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past couple years I've become a growing fan of Bollywood, and I wanted to learn something about its background and conventions. King of Bollywood didn't entirely satisfy that desire (it was, however, one of the few titles in my library system about Indian cinema), but it did give me some new insights. I particularly enjoyed learning about the interrelationship between India's history and the development of the country's film industry. It was also fun to find out a little more about Shah Rukh and other Bollywood stars. All in all, this was an interesting and entertaining book.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great biography of Shah Rukh Khan for Americans/English Speakers who are interested in the world of Bollywood - or if you're just really interested in a good story. I became interested in Bollywood movies after my Indian students at school started talking about them. I started watching a few via netflix, and was surprised by how this same guy was in a bunch of movies. I had to know more, and this was an excellent choice to learn more about the man and the movie industry in Bollywood.

[Samarth Advani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for anyone interested in knowing more about Shah Rukh Khan. It also mentions all the parallel activities going on in Bollywood with the rise of Shah Rukh, and how he was connected to them. Do note, that this was published in 2007 and is therefore, not very up to date with anything after that, which is a shame, because gems like Chakde India and My Name is Khan are not covered. But can't really blame the author for that :) Hope Anupama Chopra takes some time off from Film Companion and comes up with an updated version of this book.

[Tesneem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah. That's right, I'm geeking out and reading a Bollywood book and LOVING it!

I enjoyed it. A lot. Not only because it was about one of my favourite actors, but also because it gave a bit of background, history and information about the social aspects of life in India and some of the other bits and pieces that I didn't know about. An enjoyable book.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book -- Anupama Chopra did a fantastic job of weaving Bollywood history (with a splash of the history of India) in with the story of Shah Rukh Khan. He is very personable -- in 2005 I was privileged to meet and have my picture taken with Shah Rukh not having a clue WHO he was. Swades was my first Shah Ruhk and Bollywood experience -- I'm a fan!

[Vijay Chengappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, the author's firm knowledge of the medium (film journalism) and understated humor comes through in several places.
Again, what is the yearn for a Biography halfway into one's career? This book obviously doesn't track the next 15 years of his life and gradual struggles. Also, the book conveniently sidesteps some of the other controversies around his life (the PC affair for example).

[Katrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone like me married into the Indian culture and thereby into the "obsession" with Hindi cinema, it gave a really good insight into the world of Bollywood and of this great personality. The insight and stories are really good but the writing style could definitely be better.

[Amy Simmy-Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really knew nothing of Bollywood and this book gives a good insight into such a HUGE industry and one of it's top celebrities. My hubby and I have seen several of his movies and Bollywood is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres to watch.

[Amaan Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that can inspire most of the budding actors to achieve their dreams. I had read this book long back and remember it in bits and pieces but surely I revere srk for his wisdom, fortitude and achievements.

[Cattyme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. I've read it a million times, and I never get tired of going through it one more time. It takes you to another world..it's an amazing book. Fans will love it(obviously).

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, engaging introduction to the world of Bollywood, framed by Shah Rukh Khan's phenomenal career. Very enjoyable.

[Maganraj Bafna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anupama Chopra does a fine job of combining just enough zeitgeist to provide a little more understanding into the SRK phenomenon. Not so much a biography as much as it is a sketch, keeping an international readership in mind, not only is it well researched and written, but also there is enough in here to demonstrate the author's insight into the socio-economics in general, and as it affected the dynamics of the Hindi film industry over time.

Anupama Chopra's ode to Shah Rukh's spellbinding stardom is far more intimate and compact, crisp and to the point, punctuated by bouts of humour occasionally directed at the star. Vignettes into the star's family life in Delhi gives this account a kind of fascinating frisson. The book is absolutely captivating, about how Shah Rukh Khan -- with nothing but pure determination to be the best in the business -- actually accomplished everything he set his mind to. Some people saw it as arrogance and pride, but Khan literally delivered on everything he claimed he would be.

Shah Rukh's larger than life tale takes us through the colorful and idiosyncratic Bollywood movie industry, where fantastic dreams and outrageous obsessions share the spotlight with extortion, murder, and corruption.

This is an entertaining and informative look into the Bollywood film industry mirrored through the career of Shah Rukh Khan. It follows his life from the beginning and at the same time offers information on the way the Hindi film industry has changed during his career. There are plenty of interesting anecdotes giving a peek into the funny side of media persona of Shah Rukh Khan. The book gives a fairly balanced look at his life and how it fits into the incredibly intricate and dramatic world of Indian Cinema.

[Hrishi · Rating 3 out of 5]

അനുപമ ചോപ്രയുടെ King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema എന്ന പ്രശസ്ത കൃതിയുടെ മലയാള പരിഭാഷ. അക്ഷരത്തെറ്റുകളും വസ്തുതാപരമായ പിശകുകളും ധാരാളം. കുച്ച് കുച്ച് ഹോത്താ ഹെ യിലെ റാണി മുഖര്‍ജിയുടെ ടീന എന്ന കഥാപാത്രത്തിന്റെ പേര് പൂജ എന്ന് നല്കുക(page no 116) , Shree 420 എന്ന ചിത്രം ഷാരൂഖ് ഖാന്‍ ചിത്രം എന്ന പേരിലാക്കുക(അതില്‍ രാജ് കപൂര്‍ അഭിനയിച്ച് അനശ്വരമാക്കിയ 'മേരാ ചൂത്താ ഹൈ ജാപ്പാനി' എന്ന ഗാനത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് പരാമര്‍ശിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് - page no 18) തുടങ്ങിയ പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ പരിഭാഷയില്‍ സംഭവിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. പരിഭാഷയിലുള്ള ഇത്തരം പ്രശ്നങ്ങള്‍ മാറ്റിവച്ചാല്‍ ചലച്ചിത്രസമാനമായ കിങ് ഖാന്റെ ജീവിത കഥ മനോഹരമായി രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിരിക്കുന്ന പുസ്തകം. വായിക്കാനാഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവര്‍ മലയാള പരിഭാഷയേക്കാള്‍ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പതിപ്പ് തന്നെ വായിക്കുന്നതായിരിക്കും നല്ലത്.

[Ranjini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had higher expectations from this book - and wanted it to be more about SRK.
The first couple of chapters were more to do with the history of India-Pakistan and the partition and most of the remaining book was actually revolving around the 'seductive world of Indian cinema'.

Maybe 20% is about SRK.
If you're looking to read about SRK as an SRK fan, this is going to disappoint you, for sure.
It gives very little insight into SRK as SRK, or his family. Also, I was wondering what happened to Shahnaz?

This book caters to international readers to a large extent who don't understand Hindi, as every movie title (and dialogue) was translated into English. Also because it gives you an overview of the Hindi film industry aka Bollywood.