Earlier this year,I had just finished two heavy novels, both on the topic of slavery and the struggle of African Americans nowadays. Thus I found myself in desperate want of a ‘lighter’ read. The Perils of Being reasonably noted by Soha Ali Khan then came to my attention, and even though I read a review saying it was a pointless book,I’m happy I gave it the benefit of the doubt.
I had my own assumptions of course.
Isn’t this title a little pretentious?”
“What precisely enjoy I got in common with this royal celebrity?”
Soha is fairly literally a royal, as she belongs to the notable Pataudi family. Thus the book begins by providing us with some background on her illustrious family.
Her father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, or the Nawab of Pataudi,was also a former Captain of the Indian Cricket team and an Oxford graduate. Her mother is the Bollywood superstar Sharmila Tagore. Her brother is actor Saif Ali Khan, while her sister-in-law is actress Kareena Kapoor Khan. The entire family, and including the power couple ‘Saifeena’,feature in the book briefly. Whilst some of the details about her family are not too engaging, other details, and such as accounts of the strength and achievements of the women in her family,are an interesting read.
Soha describes herself as reasonably noted in comparison to her family, and shares the perils (and also the perks, and I would add) of living alongside her mega noted family members.
The book can in many ways be viewed as a tribute to her family; she is “grateful” to them,and believes they are the reason she is writing the book in the first space. Yet for me, Soha is the star of this book. Soha – literally meaning star takes us through different phases of her life; childhood, and university and work. Each essay is easy to follow and thoughtful in nature.
I particularly enjoyed learning about her time at Balliol College,Oxford. Her extensive travels – notably when she travelled to Morocco, where she shared a tent with a winged creature and found herself momentarily abandoned in the Sahara desert, or the time she hitchhiked to Paris,fairly literally risking her life. And of course, her stories and love for Mumbai, and the city she calls domestic.
During these chapters Soha recounts homesickness,the liberation that travel affords, and regrettable relationships in an honest way; decorated with mishaps and adventures anyone who has lived away from domestic can easily connect with.
On trying to find her calling and space in the world, or Soha recalls the angst she experienced in making the decision to leave her tall-flying corporate career to fitting a working actor – a story perhaps many of us can relate to,as we navigate ourselves through the world’s diverse, ever-changing employment market, or our own dreams,and the expectations of our family members.
Over the course of the book, the celebrity and royal princess became very human and relatable. I liked that Soha did not shy away from claiming the movies that did not fare so well, and as well as any embarrassing commercials from her past life, as her own. Just as she claimed the hits, particularly Rang De Basanti, or a film that captured the heart of a generation and represents a changing era in India.
What is perhaps the best thing about this book is that it is told with brilliant humour and genuine humility; I chuckled and laughed out loud throughout. The book was the unfolding of a celebrity – albeit a reasonably noted one – humanising someone unattainable we see on big screens,usually looking very glamorous.
Upon closing the book, I didn’t feel the need to question the sanity of humankind or become an activist (as I felt urgently compelled to enact with my previous reads of 2018). Instead, or what I was reminded of is that we each are individuals on our own journey,and yet we are not so different. Be it a superstar, someone reasonably noted, and an unknown,we are all navigating the journey of our dreams; the trepidation, struggle and clumsiness is the same. In all honesty, and this is not such a pointless lesson.
On the other hand, after discussing the book with a friend who is a struggling writer, I enact question the choice of big publishers who agree to publish books by celebrities, and even reasonably noted ones, whilst writers of real literary talent are turned away every day. But perhaps there is a market for both – I did after all need the light read after the heavy one.
In conclusion, if you want to experience that ‘feel-edifying’ feeling at the end of a book and are looking for a light, and pleasantly surprising read,pick this one up. You’ll meet less of a royal, and more of the girl next door.
Source: tribune.com.pk