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A Bollywood Affair By Shonali Dev
An Emotional Story Of An Indian-American Marriage In Bollywood
The novel, A Bollywood Affair, written by Sonali Dev showcases the test of “loyalty when Bollywood’s bad boy falls for the one woman he can’t have, a woman torn between her newfound independence, her cherished traditions, and her conflicted heart.”
The character Mili Rathod who is bound by marriage since the age four, is faced with an exciting opportunity to travel to America on a scholarship, her chance to leave India.
Enter playboy filmmaker Samir 'Sam' Rathod: Bollywood's favourite bad boy who also happens to be the brother of Mili's husband. Despite his reputation, he takes care of Mili as he'll do anything for his big brother. After meeting Mili, he discovers she is nothing like he expected and finds himself falling for her. Mili however remains true to her preset arranged marriage commitment.
Regarding Dev’s inspiration to write the novel, she talks of an unforgettable story about polygamy- a story passed on from her parents of a young woman they knew who lost her husband. The young woman who came to the village learned her husband had also been married to another woman whom he had children with. As this young woman was his second wife, she was left with nothing- especially with polygamy being illegal in India.
"I grew up in Mumbai, which is nothing if not a hot bed of stories waiting around every corner. I mean, textures, sounds, smells, emotion, it actually thrums through the air there. And then there’s my family. A grandmother who was a doctor back when the British still ruled India and a majority of women were still illiterate, a father who spent months in a Pakistani prisoner-of-war camp, a great grandmother who was a poet and died of a broken heart, a grandmother who tucked me into her side every afternoon and waxed eloquent about ‘that Mr. Rochester.’ My childhood was seeped in stories with many great storytellers who loved to color it all in with opinion and interpretation."
“The crashing of the rural and the urban faces of India has always fascinated me,” says Dev. “Tradition versus progress, freedom versus the most stringent societal norms. It's incredible to write how diverse the worlds India spans even today are. I absolutely had to write this story and trace the arc of the journeys I imagined for these women.”
In regards to writing she says she is inspired by the fact that there are stories around every corner of India; and chooses Bollywood for its rich culture.
Dev's novel captures the colorful spirit and fascinating details of Indian-American and Bollywood culture (including a lavish wedding) while delivering an emotionally layered story and accessible story. "To me Bollywood is a two pronged concept, one cultural and the other stylistic. Culturally, it’s the popular face of stories centered around Indians and the Indian state of mind — which is essentially as rich a background as you could find for any story, with a history that spans millennia, a culture that holds within itself hundreds of sub-cultures, the meeting and melding of the eastern and the western, the opulent and the wretched. And against this backdrop we have familial bonds that are so tight they have the power to stifle the life out of you as much as yank you back from the edge of tragedy," states Dev.
The novel which is set to release Oct 28th hit has had early reviews from the likes of New York Times bestselling author, Nalini Singh, and a write up in RT Book Reviews, both praising the illumination the novel brings to Indian culture.
Dev's book dedication reads, “For Mama and Papa for living Happily Ever After.” She introduces her acknowledgements by comparing the section to an Oscars acceptance speech- the consistent rehearsals and the excitement that leads up to such a momentous moment.
Make sure you add this to your fall 'must-read' list and tell us what you think.
All Images courtesy of Kensington Publishing Corp.
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