'HiFi Bollywood' Book review

HiFi in Bollywood by Rishi Vohra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked ‘HiFi in Bollywood’ authored by Rishi Vohra almost till the end when it churns out a typical Hindi potboiler.
The plot is good and Rishi does dip into his experience of having lived in Chuim village as a struggler in the Hindi Film industry. The characters that he spins out are wonderful and true to life. Having lived in Bandra, I can relate to most of the characters in the book. Even the patriarchal family system that rules till date in the ‘educated’ urban areas of India also has been defined beautifully.
The book gives the reader an insight into the tough life that a struggler (new entrant) to the Hindi Film (HiFi) industry has to go through. The glamour of acting in movies has attracted thousands from all over the country and now the world to Mumbai which is the home of the Hindi Film industry. And out of these thousands just a few of them actually make it anywhere near the level of ‘successes’ in the HiFi industry.
There is also an introduction to the concept of the casting couch that is always spoken of in the HiFi industry. And this is not restricted only to females but also young male entrants.
And true to his word Rishi Vohra also gives a brief insight into drug abuse in the industry.
Overall a very laid back book that takes the reader by hand for a stroll into the infamous Bollywood and points out the various pitfalls and stumbles that a newcomer goes through before he/she can even sleep to dream of success.
The language is simple and good and so is the plot and commitment to geographical reality. It is not a serious read but like watching a Hindi movie. So if you are a Hindi movie lover go for it and enjoy and if you are not a Hindi movie lover go for it to learn what it is like.
His first book ‘Once upon the tracks of Mumbai’ I felt was a better read.



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That was a marvellous ride! My first with Gordon B. Hilton, who has been writing fiction and creative non fiction since the 1990s.
His debut novel Biddy Debeau Rides for His Life is very well written and keeps you engaged with the story right through. It gives an insight into the dark underbelly of the life or maybe strengthens the stereotype of an American biker, giving you glimpses from the movie `Easy Rider'. Being a rider myself, certain portions of the book I could identify with, which is proof enough that there are certain things which are common to bikers all over the world irrespective of nationalities. Nothing in the book seemed fake. It all rang true, including the surreal drug induced scenes or the highs that a rider gets while on a ride and the mind wanders. The author must have been a rider himself to uncover the workings of a biker's mind. Yes, it is different.
It is definitely a must read whether you are a biker or not, just for the sheer adrenalin pumping action scenes of across the border adventures that have been plotted and woven beautifully. It does have a retro feel to it and maybe would have been a vrooming success if it was published in the 90s or maybe earlier.
Not an author to be written off. Look forward to more of his wonderful work!
This book was received by me from Story Cartel, as an advance reader copy, in exchange for my unbiased review.

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