Screenwriter, author Mushtaq Shiekh talks about his new book

Mushtaq Shiekh, screenwriter and author, shared some secrets about his famous friends from Bollywood. He shared insights on cancel culture, social media frenzy and his latest book, a crime thriller, at Phulkari WOA’s event Glam Drama & Secrets Unfolded at the Taj Swarna.

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The event was in collaboration with Majha House and was attended by a gathering of approximately 250 book lovers, storytellers and creative minds. Keeping his audience immersed in a conversation about behind the scenes at film sets, star lives and beyond, Shiekh said that he considers movie stars as goldfish. “You know just like we look at that beautiful goldfish inside the bowl with interest and adoration, the goldfish too, is looking at us with wonderment, sometimes wanting that attention. Whether it’s in real life or social media, we want to consume our favourite actor’s lives with a sense of personal connection. It’s a connection that runs both ways,” he said, while talking about celebrity-fan engagements in current times.

As an author, Shiekh has come out of his first fiction, a novel titled ‘Secrets Within. “As an author, crime thrillers are my favourite genre and I love how crime fiction keeps their readers on the edge. The story of my book is set on a fast pace, where the readers would be hit with intrigue at every page,” he said. Released in 2024, the book is written in a series format and Shiekh shared that he will be following it up with three more. “It is also being considered for a cinematic adaptation, however, things haven’t been finalised yet,” he added.

With a remarkable career that spans over screenwriting, authorship, production, acting, photography and much more, he said that his previous books provided rare insight into the world of filmmaking and its intricacies. His most widely acclaimed work remains ‘Still Reading Khan’, the biography of King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, one of his dear friends.

In conversation with Ruchi Maheshwary, Shiekh also spoke about how he wants to write more children’s books.