BOOK TITLE: Hi-Fi
in Bollywood
ISBN: 9788184956481
AUTHOR: Rishi
Vohra
GENRE: Fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 264
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: The
author sent me a review copy. Thanks to him.
SUMMARY:
"AN
ASPIRING FILMMAKER. THE DIZZYING HEIGHTS OF BOLLYWOOD. AND A STRAINED
FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP"
Rayhan Arora’s long cherished dream is to be a filmmaker in the Hindi Film Industry but his formidable father has other plans… a successful financial career in Corporate America, and a marriage of convenience with Vanita, a medical student in the US.
In a final act of desperation, Rayhan abandons his promising life in California and secretly returns to Mumbai to work as an Assistant Director in Bollywood. The characters he encounters along the way become part of his journey of self-discovery - a self-proclaimed local goon with a penchant for acting; a powerful local politician who wants to marry Rayhan's part-time domestic help, who in turn covets stardom; an angst-ridden, homosexual film director; ego-ridden film stars with twisted agendas; and the mysterious Viola who captures his heart.
HiFi in Bollywood takes the reader from the streets of Berkeley to the film studios of Mumbai; from red-light areas to police stations, and from reality to dreams and back to reality again!
Rayhan Arora’s long cherished dream is to be a filmmaker in the Hindi Film Industry but his formidable father has other plans… a successful financial career in Corporate America, and a marriage of convenience with Vanita, a medical student in the US.
In a final act of desperation, Rayhan abandons his promising life in California and secretly returns to Mumbai to work as an Assistant Director in Bollywood. The characters he encounters along the way become part of his journey of self-discovery - a self-proclaimed local goon with a penchant for acting; a powerful local politician who wants to marry Rayhan's part-time domestic help, who in turn covets stardom; an angst-ridden, homosexual film director; ego-ridden film stars with twisted agendas; and the mysterious Viola who captures his heart.
HiFi in Bollywood takes the reader from the streets of Berkeley to the film studios of Mumbai; from red-light areas to police stations, and from reality to dreams and back to reality again!
REVIEW:
Hi – Fi in Bollywood is a straight
forward book. It is the story of Rayhan Arora, an aspiring film maker. He has a
typical father who tries to realise his own failed dreams (not explicit, but
still, that is what the reality is) via his son and forces Rayhan in the
direction of a professional education and a career with a high bred fiancée.
Rayhan detests this and decides to head to Mumbai, the city of dreams, to
follow his heart in Bollywood.
He spends his savings and tries to
make a stand in the glamorous industry. But all is not as rosy as it seems in
Hi-Fi or Hindi Film Industry. He glimpses the realities of the industry much
like a behind the scenes version of a movie. The journey of Rayhan is in itself
an eye opener and funny but there is no real depth in the story. The book
contains enough twists, but sometimes, most of them are predictable to a
seasoned reader. The story itself seems like a spoiler to the upcoming pages.
The relationship between father and
son, the description of the sweat and blood of bollywood behind the cameras and
the life in Mumbai city are well written. The plot does not have much to
develop upon, but the story adheres well to the summary. There are a few
obvious proofing errors but there are unnoticeable. They do not hamper the
progress of the story in any way. The language is decent and pleasant.
The story had the ability to turn into
an out and out comedy of errors, or a serious preachy lecture, but the beauty
lies in the balance that is brought out by Rishi Vohra. Some people might hate
this style, but if you start this book as a casual read, you will go with the
flow and enjoy the read. On the whole, the story could very well be a film.
WHAT I LIKED:
The simple characters, realistic.
The writing and bursts of humour.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
The book had the potential to be
filled with twists and surprises, but falls flat in its predictability.
VERDICT:
A one time read, but if you are a
movie buff, go for this. You will get an entirely new perspective on one of
India’s major industries.
RATING: 3.5/5
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback
PRICE: Rs.
232 for Paperback
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