posted on 07 Jun 2023

My Bollywood Dream by Avani Dwivedi

When I hear or read the word ‘Bollywood’, my mind immediately conjures up ideas of films packed with colour and spectacle and that’s exactly what this new picture book from Avani Dwivedi delivers. Walker Books have given us a generously large, beautifully produced book for younger readers with Dwivedi’s illustrations packed with energy and bringing the story to life in uninhibited fashion.

In her Author’s Note at the end, Dwivedi tells us she wanted this to be a ‘love letter to Mumbai and Bollywood’ and she certainly achieves this in her depiction of a childhood ‘listening to old Bollywood music with my mum, and watching Bollywood flicks with dad.’ The book is also a celebration of the women of the Bollywood movie industry who are too often dismissed as being there for decorative love interest: but not here. The little girl who dreams with her family in this story has much bigger aspirations – to be a director who creates her own stories and casts her own characters.

The story starts as the family pile into their car, turn on the music of the films and head towards the cinema in the soft monsoon rains. The bustling streets are full of noise and traffic and give the little girl the chance to start imagining her own film, casting the people from the streets as the heroes. In a brilliant little touch, whenever we go into the young girl’s imagination the pages are given film sprockets at the top and bottom – as if we, the reader, is seeing the film rushes.

When they arrive at the cinema, it’s time for popcorn and spicy samosas - the excitement and chatter of the audience as they wait for the movie to start is tangible. But all is quiet when the movie starts and it’s the usual mixture of romance, handsome hero and wicked villain, but, most of all it’s the music and the dancing that whips the audience into a frenzy and brings everyone together:

“We’re a room of different people, from different places, living this moment together.”

These are the memories the young girl will carry with her into her adult years and will be the inspiration for her own future movie productions.

“Bollywood stories are a rollercoaster of emotions with incredible dance sequences and exciting action scenes – and, best of all, the promise of happiness in the end.”

You will be able to get this book from your local independent bookshop – if they don’t have it on their shelves, they will be happy to order it for you.

 

Terry Potter

June 2023