A goddess who defeated the box-office gods. An emperor who was defeated by a slave girl. A child who became an adult too soon. An adult who went the other way. An alcoholic. A teetotaller. A millionaire. A tramp. The Bollywood Pocketbook of Iconic Characters showcases 50 legendary characters that have become icons of Hindi cinema. Characters we have wanted to become. Characters we have loved, hated, lusted after, and even worshipped. Characters with whom we have laughed, for whom we have cried, and whose lives became inspirations for the stories of our own lives. Whether you're a trivia buff or a die hard Bollywood fan, or on your way to converting detractors into becoming one, this must-have book will have you declaring 'Unka naam toh suna hoga!'

A studio that became a school. A city that made Bihar cool. A mansion. A single-screen theatre. An icy mountain, a theatre of war. A distant island, a mega-villain's lair. The Bollywood Pocketbook of Iconic Places drops the pin on 50 memorable places that mark milestones in Hindi cinema. Places that started off as shooting locations but became landmarks. Fictional places that have become an indelible part of our childhoods. And a place inspired by a radio frequency! Whether you're a trivia buff or a die hard Bollywood fan, or on your way to converting detractors into becoming one, this must-have book will have you singing 'Yeh kahaan aa gaye hum!'

A gramophone record that didn't carry a name. A train that went up in flames. Shoes that identified a villain. Shoes that identified a hero. A cap that everyone wanted. A bag of diamonds that no one got. The Bollywood Pocketbook of Iconic Things lists 50 iconic items that have become symbolic of the Hindi film industry. Things that changed the definition of romance. Things that united the nation. Things that define a generation. These are things that have transcended from the movie screens to our lives, things that have kept us awake for many moonlit nights. Whether you're a trivia buff or a die hard Bollywood fan, or on your way to converting detractors into becoming one, this must-have book will have you humming 'Mera kuchh saamaan...!'

A Hindi film goes to Cannes. Raj Kapoor goes to Russia. Dilip Kumar stands up in court against Madhubala. Stardust finds itself facing a judge...again! Amitabh Bachchan resurrects himself. Gulshan Kumar is shot dead. The Bollywood Pocketbook of Iconic Dates records 50 momentous dates that mark major breakthroughs in the history of Hindi cinema. Dates on which blockbusters released and started trends. Dates when the country's politics was influenced by a film. And dates on which Hindi cinema changed the world as we knew it! Whether you're a trivia buff or a die hard Bollywood fan, or on your way to converting detractors into becoming one, this must-have book will have you proclaiming 'Tareekh par tareekh, tareekh par tareekh!'

“An impressive debut . . . Vibrant and exuberantly romantic, Affair is chock full of details that reflect India’s social and cultural flux.”—NPR.org Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her. Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie. Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity. “Deeply-felt emotions that will keep readers turning the pages.”—Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times-bestselling author “Debut author Sonali Dev writes a beautiful love story in A Bollywood Affair . . . One of the best romances I’ve read this year.”—USA Today

Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year ● NPR Best Books of the Year ● Amazon Fall Reading Selection ● Goodreads Best Romances of the Month ● International Dublin Literary Award Longlist "A fresh new voice." —Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author Ria Parkar is Bollywood's favorite Ice Princess—beautiful, poised, and scandal-proof—until one impulsive act threatens to expose her destructive past. Traveling home to Chicago for her cousin's wedding offers a chance to diffuse the coming media storm and find solace in family, food, and outsized celebrations that are like one of her vibrant movies come to life. But it also means confronting Vikram Jathar. Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria's exclusive boarding school in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love—until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for stardom and it's taken him years to rebuild his life. But beneath his pent-up anger, their bond remains unchanged. And now, among those who know her best, Ria may find the courage to face the secrets she's been guarding for everyone else's benefit—and a chance to stop acting and start living. Rich with details of modern Indian-American life, here is a warm, sexy, and witty story of love, family, and the difficult choices that arise in the name of both.

In how many Hindi films has the hero been afflicted by the Big C (cancer)? Who played a double role in Sholay? Which early Dev Anand movie had the song ‘Usne phenka leg break to maine mara chhakka?’ From Geet Gaata Chal (songs that became movies) to Nishabd (ten silent scenes of Amitabh Bachchan), every page in this bumper book is going to engross and entertain you.

MERE PAAS...BOLLYWOOD TRIVIA HAI! The Indian cine-goer's fascination for Bollywood is unending - and then there are those who really like to get their elbows into it dum lagaa ke! Which is why this book, stuffed with super-gyaan (yes, there is a science to the movies as well!) and sprinkled with quirky illustrations is a must-have for anyone in love with or just plain confused by all that goes on in Bollywood. Among the many masaaledar nuggets it features are: The rulebook on how to plan a filmi elopement; Fifteen jailers who terrorized prisoners (and the jailbreaks that had wardens quaking at the knees); Colourful stories that reveal why people get drunk in the movies; Ten on-screen detectives who had crime on their minds, even if they could never solve them; Three ways suhaag raats unfold *cough* in Hindi cinema. And there's much more! From tragedy and mystery to heartbreak and victory - Bollygeek opens up the obsessive, compulsive and addictive world of Hindi cinema like never before. You don't want to miss out on this one!

Netflix has come a long way since 1997, when two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Marc Ran­dolph and Reed Hastings, decided to start an online DVD store before most people owned a DVD player. They were surprised and elated when launch-day traffic in April 1998 crashed their server and resulted in 150 sales. Today, Netflix has more than 25 million subscribers and annual revenues above $3 billion. Yet long- term success-or even survival-is still far from guaranteed. Journalist Gina Keating recounts the absorbing, fast-paced drama of the company's turbulent rise to the top and its attempt to invent two new kinds of business. First it engaged in a grueling war against video-store behemoth Blockbuster, transforming movie rental forever. Then it jumped into an even bigger battle for online video streaming against Google, Hulu, Amazon, and the big cable companies. Netflix ushered in such innovations as DVD rental by mail, a patented online queue of upcom­ing rentals, and a recommendation algorithm called Cinematch that proved crucial in its struggle against bigger rivals. Yet for all its success, Netflix is still a polariz­ing company. Hastings is often heralded as a visionary-he was named Business Person of the Year in 2010 by Fortune-even as he has been called the nation's worst CEO. Netflix also faces disgruntled customers after price increases and other stumbles that could tarnish the brand forever. The quest to become the world's portal for pre­mium video on demand will determine nothing less than the future of entertainment and the Internet. Drawing on extensive new interviews and her years covering Netflix as a financial and entertainment reporter, Keating makes this tale as absorbing as it is important.

The dramatic, entertaining story of the dream team that pioneered the Bollywood blockbuster Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar reinvented the Bollywood formula with an extraordinary lineup of superhits, becoming game changers at a time when screenwriting was dismissed as a back-room job. From Zanjeer to Deewaar and Sholay to Shakti, their creative output changed the destinies of several actors and filmmakers and even made a cultural phenomenon of the Angry Young Man. Even after they decided to part ways, success continued to court them-a testament not only to their impeccable talent and professional ethos, but also their enterprising showmanship and business acumen. Fizzing with energy and brimming over with enough trivia to delight a cinephile's heart, Written by Salim-Javed tells the story of a dynamic partnership that transformed Hindi cinema forever.