Star biographies are the new craze, with several more in the pipeline. However, the current biography boom seems to have no real financial benefits. A well-placed publisher, who doesn’t wish to be named, says that the big Bollywood biography boom will soon go bust.
“Publishing houses are tripping over one another to commission biographies on everyone from Lata Mangeshkar to Asha Bhonsle, Rishi Kapoor to Shakti Kapoor. But it is not believable that there is a readership for these sagas. In fact, none of the high-profile biographies released so far have made any money,” says the source.
Instances of poorly resea-rched or stilted biographies abound, although publishers are spending huge amounts of money. Penguin India has commissioned a biography in Hindi and English of Lata Mangeshkar, penned by an admirer and author from Uttar Pradesh, who claims to have 400 hours of recorded conversation with her. Lata, however, is unimpressed and intends to stop the unauthorised biography unless the content is shared with her. Veteran journalist Rauf Ahmed’s Shammi Kapoor The Game Changer (Om Books) is one of the more rigorously researched biographies in the market which has not sold too well, although it offers extensive insights into the star’s life, including an account of his passion for Madhubala.
Shashi Kapoor got a biographical treatment from eminent US-based journalist Aseem Chhabra in Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, The Star (Rupa) which focuses almost entirely on his body of work. Very little space is given to his personal life.
Interestingly, Chhabra comes face-to-face with Shashi only once in the course of the biography, and that too for a fleeting glance at a hotel. Compare him to author Yassar Usman whose Rekha: The Untold Story (Juggernaut) attempts to unveil the mystique without meeting her even once! What we end up with are gossipy episodes from Rekha’s life, strung together with little expertise. Other B’wood biographies in the market include one on Shatrughan Sinha’s life, Anything But Khamosh by Bharathi S. Pradhan.
