The Perils of Being Moderately Famous by Soha Ali Khan | Book Review

What is it like to be known as Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s daughter?
Or to have a mother as famous as Sharmila Tagore?
Or to be recognized as Saif Ali Khan’s sister?
Or as Kareena Kapoor’s sister-in-law?
And where does one stand among them?

Actor Soha Ali Khan’s debut book is at heart a brilliant collection of personal essays where she recounts with self-deprecating humour what it was like growing up in one of the most illustrious families of the country. With never before published photos from her family’s archives, The Perils of Being Moderately Famous takes us through some of the most poignant moments of Soha’s life – from growing up as a modern-day princess and her days at Balliol College, to life as a celebrity in the times of social media culture, and finding love in the most unlikely of places – all with refreshing candour and wit.

The blurb (as above) is quite convincing; to the point that the reader is compelled to pick up the book. I, on the other hand, bought this on the recommendation of a total stranger at the bookstore who, when she overhead me asking the store-owner his opinion on the book (his recommendations are always spot on), jumped into the conversation and insisted that I give it a read. I confess, at the risk of sounding judgemental, that I did peek at the selection of books she was buying to make sure her advice was dependable. I wasn’t disappointed – either with her shopping list, or this book.

Once you move past the book’s title, which raises some very interesting questions by itself, and begin to start reading, you realise that Khan writes her story with an effortless poise. Her language is simple, yet extremely entertaining; her expression fun, with a quirky sense of humour.

She makes it explicitly clear at the beginning that she is not out to create a controversy, or scandal, or reveal family secrets, as most celebrity memoirs, lately, tend to do. This is simply her story of being born a princess, raised like any other girl born to famous parents before the advent of social media, and experimenting with life’s challenges before finding her true calling.

She begins by introducing both sides of her illustrious family and their rich cultural heritage. She describes her early years growing up in Delhi and then in London. Her affinity to the performing arts, or lack thereof, in favour of a strong academic foundation to begin a career in the corporate world so as to pave her way to settle down in London, makes for quite a story.

Most people see celebrities and their lifestyles as aspirational than anything else. But underneath all the glamour and fame are some regular people living very real lives.

How that came to be for Soha Ali Khan, what changed and why, makes her seem more girl-next-door than a star, which, incidentally is also what her name translates to.

The Perils of Being Moderately Famous is exactly as the title suggests. Hilarious, honest, warm and wise. As long as you don’t expect it to be a Bollywood flavoured gossip column, you will chuckle at the author’s wit and marvel at her courage and charm with which she has written this self deprecating memoir.

Title: The Perils of Being Moderately Famous
Author: Soha Ali Khan
Publisher: Penguin Random House India
ISBN: 978-0143439967
Edition/Year: First Edition 2017
Format: Paperback
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 256
Source: Personal Copy

Rating: 5 Stars

Available on Amazon.

About the Author: Soha Ali Khan is an Indian film actor who has appeared in movies such as Rang De Basanti, Tum Mile and Go Goa Gone. She studied modern history at Balliol College, Oxford, and earned a Masters’ Degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the youngest daughter of actor Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the ninth nawab of Pataudi. Both her father and paternal grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, were former captains of the Indian cricket team. Her older brother is Saif Ali Khan and she’s married to actor Kunal Kemmu.
She is active on Facebook and Twitter.

Picture Source: aquamarineflavours.wordpress.com

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