From Nazneen to Naina: 20 years of Kareena Kapoor Khan in Bollywood and what that means for India and the rest of the world, will be officially released at Chandigarh Press Club on Tuesday, September 21. Authored by Canadian journalist Gurpreet Singh, the book is based on the film career of the famous Bollywood diva, and what she has faced from followers of the current right wing Hindu nationalist BJP government, under which attacks on religious minorities have grown.
Published by Ludhiana-based Chetna Parkashan, the book will be launched on her birthday.
Affectionately known as Bebo, Kareena has been under constant backlash for marrying a Muslim man, adopting Khan as her last name, and naming her two sons Taimur and Jeh, all of which has been interpreted as an affront by the self-styled defenders of Hindu religion.
This is a reflection of the growing intolerance in a toxic political environment, created by those in power both within and outside the Indian film industry.
The book talks about her work, going into the details of her performance as an actor, activist and philanthropist, trying to make connections between the present political situation and its impact on the cinema. It looks deeply into the challenges before Kareena, for being a flag bearer of secularism which is despised by the religious bigots who have become emboldened at the behest of the BJP regime.
Her significant role as someone who stands up against hate on the screen has been underlined in the book, which also attempts to make a critical assessment of her position on issues such as racism, feminism, environment and state violence.
Singh is a newscaster and talk show host with Spice Radio in Greater Vancouver and writes for the Georgia Straight. This is his fifth book, which is being released by his India-based media colleagues in his absence.
