Page 65 - English Tehelka Issue 6 - March 31, 2018

• Deepika emerges to theStack SANJAY DUTT’S life STORY

iS STRANGeR THAN fiCTiON
be entertainment queen IndIan Cultures as HerItage Yasser Usman’s new book tells the uncensored

By Romila Thapar; Aleph Book Company story of the actor’s roller-coaster life that is stranger
than any fiction
Bollywood’s leading lady Deepika Padukone re- Every society has its cultures: the patterns of how people live and
cently bagged the Entertainer of the Year Award express themselves and how they value objects and thoughts. What Sanjay Dutt, in the brief of this book, has been
after the humungous success of her magnum constitutes Indian heritage and cultures has been dubbed as “the original bad boy of Bollywood”.
opus Padmaavat. Rekha, Shweta Bachchan, much discussed. Romila Thapar begins by explaining In the early 1980s, it was not uncommon to find
Kriti Sanon, Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, how the definitions of the concept of culture have him passed out over the steering wheel of his
Sidharth Malhotra, Meera Rajput, Yohan changed since the last three centuries and hence car on a suburban road of Mumbai after a night
Poonawalla, Chanda Kochhar were among • Shah Rukh’s child require added attention. Cultures when defined by of drugs and alcohol. Sanjay’s open love for guns
others who graced the Eighth Hello! Hall Of bags first project drawing on selected items and thoughts from the and hard partying, his rippling muscles, long hair
Fame Awards that were hosted by Mandira Bedi. There are reports that past, remain relatively unknown, except to a few. Yet and many glamorous girlfriends, including the
Actor Deepika Padukone, meanwhile, is also superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s each has a context and meaning relating them to top actress of that time, defined machismo for a
brimming with pride over the success of Sanjay daughter Suhana Khan, who the past and to their significance as a contemporary generation of Indian men.
Leela Bhansali’s period drama Padmaavat is studying in London, has presence. Contexts, often regarded as unconnected But underneath the tough-guy image there
that has entered the 200 crore club. Though, already bagged a magazine to culture, can to the contrary, be quite illuminating. were genuine struggles, too: Both his mother
she says the number game does not matter to shoot project. “Suhana will Thought-provoking books such as this spark debate and the debate and his first wife died tragically young of cancer,
her, the Bajirao Mastani actor is happy with be shooting for a magazine, I may lay to rest some current shibboleths about India’s culture. and Sanjay had to go through long and painful
the love the film, which also features Shahid don’t want to reveal the name, -------------------------------------------------------------------------- periods of de-addiction therapy.
Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in pivotal roles, and that’s the most exciting In this book, Yasser Us-
is getting from audiences for her portrayal thing I am looking forward tHe Manager WHo BeCaMe an InfluenCer man tells the uncensored
of Queen Padmavati. “The journey of to,” Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri By Harish Shivdasani; Rupa Publications India story of Sanjay’s roller-
Padmaavat has been nothing short of in- Khan recently revealed at an coaster life that is stranger
credible. While numbers never mattered awards ceremony. The Manager Who Became an Influencer will help transform manag- than any fiction — from the
to me. But at this moment, I feel proud as an In a related development, ers into leaders and leaders into more effective leaders. This book time he smuggled heroin
artist and as an individual. There could be no veteran actress Shabana Azmi will also unlock the secrets to becoming happier spouses, parents, into the United States and
better reward than having surpassed my pre- has predicted that Suhana friends and colleagues. The author, Harish Shivdasani, a former went on a drunken shoot-
vious highs,” Deepika said. Padmavaat has will be a “good” actor. The faculty at IIM Ahmedabad and currently a leadership ing spree at his Pali Hill
broken the record of Deepika’s own film 66-year-old actress took coach to CEOs and their teams, combines manage- home after breaking up
Chennai Express and raked in 236 crore at to Twitter to compliment ment lessons and principles of psychotherapy to with his girlfriend to his
the box office till February 8 in India. Suhana. “Mark my words provide practical, scientific and sure-fire strategies curious phone calls to
“I think for me, Ranveer’s contribution #SuhanaKhan is going to be which can be used to mentor and develop teams and gangster Chhota Shakeel
in the film as well as Shahid’s contribu- a seriously good actor. I’ve raise their performance levels. The book focusses on and his role in the 1993
tion is something that I will always watched a short clip of her enhancing competencies and creating a relationship Mumbai serial blasts.
cherish, ” Deepika recently said on the acting and it was terrific. of trust between peers as well as superiors and sub- Yasser Usman, who has
sidelines of Volare Awards 2018. Bless her,” wrote Shabana. ordinates. The book is replete with techniques that turned himself into a chronicler of the lives of
can be used on a daily basis to create an environment Bollywood’s most enigmatic or polarising figures,
in which individuals and organizations can learn, had begun with a biography of Rajesh Khanna,
grow and prosper. Harish Shivdasani works with busi- shedding light, among other things, on the lone-
ness leaders, CEOs, senior management as well as high-potential liness of one of tinseltown’s most popular stars.
Talking abouT casT- senior executives to help them achieve greater leadership success, But it was with his unauthorised biography of
• DOING ‘THE UNDOING’ fulfil their life goals and create a unique identity in society. Rekha, published in 2016, that Usman gave fans
of the famously private film star ample reason to
NICOLE KIDMAN AND DAVID KELLEY ARE REUNITING FOR NEW HBO PROJECT ing couch can end ---------------------------------------------------------- scramble for copies.
Hollywood star Nicole Kidman and Big Lit- an arTisTe’s career’ WIll You stIll love Me? Dutt’s story, described as being stranger than
tle Lies executive producer David E Kelley, By Ravinder Singh; Penguin fiction, is likely to feature drugs and alcohol,
according to reports, are reuniting for a new guns and Mumbai’s underworld, high-profile ro-
HBO project The Undoing. The limited series Lavanya Gogoi is from the scenic hills of Shillong while Rajveer Saini mances and tragic personal loss. The Bollywood
is an adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz book belongs to the shahi city of Patiala. Worlds apart from actor, who was let out of jail in 2016 for “good
You Should Have Known, with Kidman at- one another, the two land up next to each other on behaviour and conduct”, has been the subject
tached to star, reported Deadline. Kelley a flight from Mumbai to Chandigarh. It’s love at first of several works in the past few years, leaving
will executive produce and write the scripts flight, at least for one of them. For the other . . . well, readers to wonder what new information Usman
that focus on Grace Sachs (Kidman), a suc- it’s going to take more than a plane ride! And when might bring to the telling of his life.
cessful therapist who is about to publish her love does finally happen, there are more obstacles to An on-screen anchor and an off-screen script
first book when disaster strikes: someone overcome. Rajveer has to stand up against his own if writer; Usman has bagged the prestigious Ram-
dies, her husband goes missing, and her he and Lavanya are to be together. However, life has nath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
perfect life with her son is turned upside other plans. Things go horribly wrong and Rajveer in the Film & Television (Broadcast) category. He
down. A search for a director for the Ileana D’Cruz now has to fight a different battle-one in which he is has also been a recipient of the NT (News Televi-
• Big Little Lies Kidman and Kelly join hands mini-series is underway. (During an interview) the devil as well as the deliverer. . sion) Awards three years in a row.

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