📚 Book: Parveen Babi: A Life | ✍️ Author: Karishma Upadhyay | Episode 20

Book Café Podcast

📚 Book: "Parveen Babi: A Life"
✍️ Author: Karishma Upadhyay
🎙 Hosted by: @omarrasman
📘 Publisher: @HachetteBookGroup , @hachettecollections6087 , @HachetteFLE @hachetteeducation3788 @hachettecollections6087 @HachetteFR @hachettefascicoli @HachettePartworksLtd
Book review by @jenn_n_tonik9458 :
What a whirlwind of a read 'Parveen Babi: A Life', by Karishma Upadhyay, turned out to be! The writer/journalist meticulously chronicles the tumultuous life of Bollywood's late bohemian princess of the 70's - 80's, capturing her personality, career, 'liberal' and unapologetic lifestyle of the time, her well known romantic interests (that are intense mini stories on their own), and subsequently her unfortunate battle with schizophrenia, without sensationalizing any aspect of it.
The narrative begins with Parveen's early years of growing up in a 50+ room haveli, leading on to her college days in Ahmedabad. While majoring in Eng. Lit., she completely reinvented herself and image from a conservative Gujarati girl to a bohemian influenced 'westernized' young lady, which ultimately won her a spot in the 70's glamorous world of Bollywood.
Old interviews by Parveen Babi and collected memories from family, friends and acquaintances of the late actress form the backbone of the biography which the writer presents in a nuanced and detailed account. Parveen’s mental illness is slowly and carefully woven in along her life’s story. It is sensitively conveyed from a well informed understanding of mental health, which we are aware of now, but which society was lacking during Parveen's time.
A few chapters in, the book proves to be an engrossing read, especially for those of us who enjoy good old bollywood trivia. I personally found the recurring and real life characters of Kabir Bedi, Protima Bedi and Mahesh Bhatt to be rather interesting. At times it felt like the author was there in real time, shadowing the actress at every turn to make notes for a future biography.
As many know, Parveen’s turbulent life of constant highs and lows came to an end at the age of 50. After decades of living away from the movies, public eye and no contact with her famous Bollywood exes and once peers, fate would have it that her three ex lovers were among the only ones who attended her funeral from the industry she once dazzled.
I'd like to add that the book should come with a trigger warning for those who have / are struggling with mental health problems such as persecution paranoia, manic depression (and those who are dealing with it second hand).

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