Old wine in a new bottle
Reviewed by Rachna Singh

Bollywood’s Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema
Ed. Bhaichand Patel. Penguin. Pages 279. Rs 499.

The theme for the World Book Fair held recently in Delhi was ‘100 years of Indian Cinema’. Madhuri Dixit has been given pride of place in Madam Tussauds Bollywood pantheon which now includes wax statues of six celebrated Indian cine stars. This without a doubt indicates the growing global interest in the cinema of India be it parallel cinema or the more typical song and dance genre. This interest is not limited to understanding the cinematography or the social mores encapsulated in Indian films but veers more towards an almost voyeuristic desire to peek into the lives of film stars. Such an interest has marked the advent of biographies, autobiographies and varied collections detailing the life and times of Bollywood stars. Bollywood’s Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema edited by Bhaichand Patel is one such collection.

Patel grew up watching ‘an average of three films a week’ and claims that it arms him with the credentials to attempt the Herculean task of editing a book that encompasses 80 years of Indian cinema. A quick read of the book, however, disappoints. Some of the essays put together are undoubtedly well written and well researched but most of the essays traverse a well-worn path. Vikram Sampath’s essay on K.L Saigal is perhaps one of the best pieces in the collection. Written with a button-hole friendliness, without verging on the crassly familiar, Sampath takes us through the childhood of the actor-singer whose intense love for music drew the ire of a materialistic father. From being shunned by a father Saigal became the darling of the masses after the release of Devdas. His soulful rendition of Jab dil hi toot gaya and Babul mora naihar chhooto jay are still remembered. Kabir’s essay on Shammi Kapoor carries some of the energy and aplomb of the actor himself while the essay by Jerry Pinto on Waheeda Rehman is touched by the gravity and elegance as well as the gamine charm of the actress herself. The essay on Devika Rani also gives us some fascinating glimpses of an actress with a ‘cut glass English accent and an unabashed sexuality’. The essays on the current celebrities like Amitabh Bacchan , Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Kajol or Kareena Kapoor however do not impress as they are hackneyed rehashes and can at best e described as old wine in new bottles. They detail what has already been written in film magazines or tweets.  The collection of old film posters and portraits of yesteryear heroines from Patel’s private collection does give the reader pause.

The cover of the book has a similar effect and brings to mind the hand painted hoardings which were the norm in the seventies. The disc of songs accompanying the book adds some charm to the collection but all these add-ons do not compensate for the some of the lacklustre writings that find place in the book. A mixed bag of writings. In part interesting and in part trite.

HOME