Fact can be stranger than fiction. But it is fiction that has the power to add sugar and spice to life. That’s exactly why, author and journalist, Priyanka Sinha Jha chose to write her new book – ‘Folk Tales From Bollywood’ – inspired by real Bollywood anecdotes yet presented in the form of fictional stories. This book, full of drama and masala, features 10 engaging tales that have a little in common with actual B-town stories. For those who have grown up keeping a tab on the grapevine, the stories in Jha’s book will manage to engage an immediate recall. For newbies, it is a treasure trove of Bollywood’s glitz and glam. In conversation with ETimes, Priyanka Sinha Jha reveals some juicy details about the most spicy stories from Bollywood. Read on…
1. When and how did you think of writing this book? What was the inspiration of telling these fictional tales?
‘Folk Tales From Bollywood’ is a result of the lockdown and people’s undying curiosity about the lives of Bollywood stars. As a journalist, I have written about celebrities from all walks of life — painters, business heads, models, politicians, authors and of course, Bollywood stars but the curiosity around Bollywood stars has always been the highest. For instance, there is a greater interest in an actor’s life than say, even, a tycoon like Vijay Mallya who loved to live life king-size. And then again people often want to believe that Bollywood lives are extremely hedonistic and when you tell them otherwise, they refuse to believe that stars too can have basic struggles and insecurities. The book was born out of the need to address this voyeuristic instinct that we have about the lives of others. So I began to spin fictional yarns based on some anecdotal nuggets I had gleaned over the years. I used these as springboards for my imagination.

2. A lot of gossip and personal stories from Bollywood go unreported, but those who work in and around the industry are privy to these conversations. Why do these inside stories not come out?Inside stories or andar ki baat is usually known to people in the business, colleagues, friends and such like but nobody ever wants to say it out loud for fear of being cut off from the circle of power. Or displeasing the powers that be because in show business, access is everything. We have occasionally heard outsiders get vocal about nepotism and favouritism in the industry among other things and spill some tea, but often it is muted whispers because nobody wants to take pangas.

3. How did you decide how much information to reveal and how much to hold back while fictionalising these stories from Bollywood?
The 10 short stories in the book are inspired by reality — things you see and hear — but they are completely fictional. As a writer making a foray into fiction, it would be pointless to not let my imagination go wild for a change. While I may have borrowed from an anecdote I heard or some popular mannerism of people in the business, I have steered away from the actual lives of real people. Creating characters and what their life could be in a given circumstance or situation is where I have taken a complete leap of imagination. For example, ‘R.I.P’, one of the stories in the book, is about the battle between a star’s wife and his actor girlfriend for his legacy. The germ of that idea came from the era of 60s and 70s when it was okay for heroes to be married and yet have a romantic liaison outside the marriage. It was a common occurrence at the time and was widely accepted. However, everything that follows in the story is fiction. There is already so much information about film stars and celebrities thanks to social media, that there is no point in trying to put the same story out there. Fiction gives you room to explore the multiple possibilities of what can be, rather than be restricted merely to what actually is.

4. Which stories from Bollywood have shocked you or surprised you the most? Have you ever found yourself at the crossroad of knowing a great scoop but not being able to report it?
In fact, I have several juicy anecdotes around film awards that I have never revealed to anyone. I was the curator of a prestigious film awards ceremony for over a decade and had a ring side view to some very interesting and fiery incidents. But I have never reported on them.

5. Some stars are like open books, they openly admit their stories, relationships and personal details. Is it easier to write about such stars? And do these kinds of stars find more success than those who don’t open up?
To each their own. Shah Rukh Khan is very open about his life, as is Aamir Khan. This possibly makes them more accessible to their fans. But then there are enough examples of stars who are aloof and yet very successful. We must remember that the audience is interested in knowing more about the big stars and not just everybody in the film industry. It’s a tricky balance to strike — to know how much is too much information or too little.

6. Of the 10 stories in ‘Folk Tales From Bollywood’, which one is your favourite and why?
My favourites of the 10 short stories would possibly be ‘Love Bungalow’ and ‘Baby Boon’. ‘Love Bungalow’ is about a perplexing mystery around a legendary bungalow that belongs to a senior actor, a throwback to the old world Bollywood when everything was larger-than-life. ‘Baby Boon’ is very contemporary and showcases the cut-throat rivalry between two young male stars and the humorous twists and turns it brings about.