NON-FICTION

The Perils of Being Moderately Famous

Soha Ali Khan

Published: December 12, 2017

Publisher: Penguin India

Pages : 256 (paperback)

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems every Bollywood actor, at one point of time, sees the need to come out with a book—on their spectacular flashbulb-lit lives, how they beat the odds for a comeback, or even a diet book, if nothing else. But Soha Ali Khan’s debut book ‘The Perils of Being Moderately Famous’, a collection of personal essays, doesn’t feel like an actor, one who belongs to such an illustrious family for that matter, boasting and bragging about life and its luxuries. Instead, as she recounts what it was like growing up as the daughter of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, and being Saif Ali Khan’s sister, and Kareena Kapoor’s sister-in-law, Soha, with her wit and self-deprecating humor, narrates things so refreshingly that it makes her relatable, despite her star status. The book feels like a one- on-one conversation with the writer.

 

As a part of some notable and some forgettable films, Soha is what you could call ‘moderately famous’. But as Asian Age rightly noted, “Star­dom may have gone to the brother but grace seems to be a legacy received by Soha”, and it’s the grace with which she has penned her book that makes it such a delightful read. This is one memoir that’s not in your face, heavy with ‘brutal honesty’ and ‘frankness’ that feel forced.

 

She’s not trying to get you to like her or think well about her through her writing. She’s simply telling you her story. The ease with which she talks about those one off date nights and serious affairs and then her college life and foray into acting makes you wish the chapters were a bit longer. Life could definitely use a little bit more of her wit and insight.

 

And while she makes you laugh time and again, there are also moments in the book that are stir­ring and get you thinking. Bits where she talks about her father and her relationship with him as well as the pain of losing a parent whom she loves and respects in equal measure make you take a moment to remem­ber all the people and things you hold dear in your life.

 

What’s also remarkable about the book is that nothing feels over the top and there have been no attempts to sensationalize things. That is not Soha’s style. She is all about keeping it simple, humorous, and classy as she shares her personal expe­riences with warmth and a lot of integrity while offering some nev­er-seen-before images of her family, childhood, and her daughter Inaaya. Reading ‘The Perils of Being Moder­ately Famous’ affirms the fact that experiences are universal and that you don’t have to be famous, even moderately so, to enjoy the little things in life and be grateful for what you have.