Bollywood’s ersatz flamboyance draws many youths to the tinsel town, where they gradually realise the harsh reality of survival. Only a handful can withstand the rigours of life in Mumbai and make it to the zenith while the others disintegrate as the going gets tougher. Nonetheless, each story of struggle is unique.
It is this mesh of glamour, glitz and agony that author Puneet Sikka weaves in her debut novel Take No. 2020. Each character has a story and each story is worth narrating on screen. This is why Mickey Taneja, the casting director, does not choose a protagonist when he writes the script for his movie based on the lives of struggling actors.
Meera’s journey begins in Chennai where she has a dark past and a love-filled present. But she chooses to pursue her dreams in Bollywood and nothing can hold her back. Dabloo Yadav, on the other hand, leaves his family in a village in Bihar to make a career in the film industry. Jayesh already has his share of fame as a social media influencer but his goal is the silver screen and not the family business in Gujarat.
These youths accept the gruelling life in Mumbai and are ready to face any challenge to make their dreams come true. For Dabloo, the challenge is also financial as he comes from a farming family. But he is lucky to have an elder brother who supports his dream.
Talent is not the only criterion for getting a break in Bollywood. One needs the right connection and luck to get the opportunity to showcase the talent. This the struggling actors realise with time and just when their lives start moving in the right direction, the world comes to a grinding halt thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The series of lockdowns upend everything. The deadly virus forces every individual to reconsider life in the new normal situation; and in this new world, many get recognition on the digital platform and raw talent is given due respect as OTTs reach out to even those who once found Bollywood the dead end of creativity.
As Sikka tells the stories of Meera, Dabloo, Jayesh, Mickey, Patti, Raghu and others, she includes her experience in the entertainment industry as an aspiring actress. The novel is a story within a story. “No character is entirely fictional”. Each character Sikka creates is as real as it is fictional.
Published by Penguin Random House India, the book, or the individual stories, can well become endearing on screen.
Book: Take No. 2020; Author: Puneet Sikka; Publisher: Penguin Random House India; Pages: 288; Price: Rs 350
~ Team Meghalaya Monitor
