Book Review - HiFi in Bollywood

In one of my previous reviews I had said that the only thing better than watching films is reading about them, getting the inside stories and finding about what went into the making of that spectacular piece of art. While there are many such books, there are very few fictions using Bollywood as their backdrop. HiFi in Bollywood is one of those few.

Rayhan, a 20 something from Mumbai dreams of directing films but succumbs to his dad's will and ends up studying finance in the USA. Desperate to get out of an arranged marriage and pursuit his ambition, he comes back to Mumbai. But Rayhan Arora is not an angry youth who'd go the indie way, his dreams involve blockbusters, superstars and song sequences. A quick phone call and few lies lands him the job of an assistant to a superstar director.  He encounters a strew of characters in this journey - his pld maid's love struck daughter, a local goon, homosexual director and an ego-ridden filmstar. After a few filmy twists and turns Rayhan manages to prove the eternal Hindi film dialogue true, 'sab theek ho jayega'. 

HiFi in Bollywood is Rishi Vohra's second book - he has also written Once Upon The Tracks Of Mumbai - and has more realistic end. The writing while not mature, has a natural flow. He knows Bandra well and weaves the little quirks of the suburb in his story.

The book is a light read but does come with its flaws, The biggest one is that as a reader I couldn't make and emotional connect with the characters. The book only scratches the surface of the Hindi Film Industry, referred to as HiFi by the insiders. The idea of Bollywood here is based on a few cliches and stereotypes which disappoints a bit.

Book: HiFi In Bollywood

Author: Rishi Vohra

Publisher: Jaico

Price: Rs 299

Pages: 247