cover image Bollywood Confidential

Bollywood Confidential

Sonia Singh, . . Avon, $12.95 (215pp) ISBN 978-0-06-059038-3

Singh takes a lighthearted look at "masala moviemaking" in this snappy overseas romp (after Goddess for Hire ) starring aspiring actress Raveena Rai. Raveena isn't having much luck in Hollywood as an Indian beauty, so when her agent nabs her a starring role in a Bollywood film, she jumps at the chance and relocates to Bombay. Singh paints the scene with broad strokes: the bad guys are short and greasy, the gay best friend is predictably campy and supportive and Raveena proves unfailingly plucky. We get a few quick sketches of the teeming Indian streets and meet a host of comic Indian characters, including Raveena's eccentric Uncle Heeru (a failed actor who lives in a house overrun by pigeons), a lecherous Bollywood director and the extraordinarily handsome romantic interest, Bollywood mega-star, Siddharth. In her depiction of the haphazard making of a nonsensical movie, Singh offers a mild critique of Bollywood product (as too lowbrow and derivative), while also celebrating her heroine—and the Indian film industry's verve. Agent, Kimberly Whalen . (July)