Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh by Shrayana Bhattacharya| Book Review

Concept: 5/5

Relevance: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

(I sound biased, and I am not ashamed.)

A fun internship and a fantastic role model at said internship lent me this book. The conversation around this started in a restaurant during a team lunch where we discussed our current reads, and he asked me, “What makes Shah Rukh who he is?” I took a pause and said, “The lens through which he views women?” With a snap of his fingers, a serving of lamb curry, and a keen interest in furthering the discussion, he said, “Precisely!” This was my first introduction to Shrayana Bhattacharya. Her work has kept me hooked for hours; I have felt every word she has written, and now, just like the women desperately seeking Shah Rukh, I desperately seek someone to pass this book on to.

What to expect?

The book is masterfully written to encapsulate the essence of Shah Rukh. It makes the reader understand what made Shah Rukh stand out, how he taught a generation of young women to have expectations of and from love and romance, and what to crave in their partners, to dream and fantasize about the Rahuls (naam toh suna hi hoga). It has a collection of stories of women from various backgrounds in India—far apart in their lived experiences but brought together by their fandom.

What makes the book stand out?

In all candidness, everything. However, if I had to pinpoint one particular thing, it must be the writing. It is written so brilliantly! It has the author's experiences interacting with various women while conducting surveys. She treats these women as characters and weaves their stories that, as a reader, have you roped in, eyes glued to the text on the pages. Never once have I had to put up with the likes of Delhi men mentioned in the book, and yet I found myself fuming, agitated, and annoyed at their mannerisms, accepting them as a norm in that city, and learning to empathize with each and every story of every woman.

What caught my attention?

Data. I have developed a fondness for data-driven stories, and this book is no exception to that. The narratives are woven masterfully and in a very compelling manner around data collected in various surveys. I especially love how the data is not just some number on a paper but talked about in the form of a story. I can still think back to all the women I have read about in this book.

The Bottom Line

If I could, I would give this book to everyone I know. I would pester them to read it and not give up until 85% of my social circle has absorbed its words like a sponge. Unfortunately, I cannot do that. But if you want to read an excellent book that opens you to the reality of the female experience in this country through a Shah Rukh Khan lens, then this is a book you should never EVER pass up.