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 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!'

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 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!'

Based on his own extraordinary life, Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram is a mesmerizing novel about a man on the run who becomes entangled within the underworld of contemporary Bombay—the basis for the Apple + TV series starring Charlie Hunnam. “It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.” An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere. As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power. Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas—this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart.

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!

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.