KING OF BOLLYWOOD – EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
  
Thursday, August 9, 2007, New York, NY: King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema is the name of a book by Anupama Chopra. The author was present in New York today at an event hosted by the Indo American Arts Council (IACC) and South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA). The event comprised of a screened interview with Anu Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan, book reading, singing of the book and a cocktail reception. Vidhu Vinod Chopra, an academy award- nominated Indian producer and filmmaker of movies such as Munnabhai and Parineeta – to mention a few, was also present. The book is a definitive look at how Bollywood came to be a huge sensation in India and all over the world, through the story of its #1 star. With as many as two hundred films produced a year, Bollywood has become a $1.5 billion dollar industry. The story of how this business came to flourish is set against the backdrop of Shah Rukh Khan’s rise in the industry. Shah Rukh Khan is an international phenomenon - he generates “Beatlemania”- like hysteria at appearances and performances across the U.S., throughout Europe, and beyond. His larger-than-life tale takes us through the colorful and idiosyncratic Bollywood movie industry, where fantastic dreams and outrageous obsessions share the spotlight with extortion, murder, and corruption.

King of Bollywood is a sweeping portrait of a man who is worshipped as a modern-day God, a country finding its identity and a movie industry that helped change the face of India. It is the first comprehensive narrative account of Bollywood published in the U.S., and the story of Shah Rukh Khan’s rise to the top serves as a scintillating introduction to India’s billion dollar film industry. As a Muslim in a nation of Hindus, Shah Rukh Khan’s story serves as a mirror reflecting the larger story of India and its transformation and emergence as a modern nation.
  
Internationally renowned film critic Anupama Chopra combines her knowledge of the Bollywood industry with firsthand interviews and exclusive photographs for an exclusive, insider’s look at Shah Rukh Khan and the world of Bollywood.
  
King of Bollywood also includes a full-color photo insert—featuring the top stars in India—that highlights the colorful costumes and lush backgrounds separating Bollywood from other film styles, along with a brief run-down of the colorful cast of characters that populate the story.
  
Kirkus raves Anupama Chopra has written “a neat encapsulation of an amazing career.” More than just the story of one man’s struggle to become a star, King of Bollywood is a sweeping portrait of a country finding its identity and of the industry that changed the face of India.