NEW DELHI: Actress turned author Soha Ali Khan launched her book, ‘The Perils of Being Moderately Famous’ saying there were certain things about her life which she has drawn and that might be humorous.
Soha who was in the national capital on Wednesday with her mother and veteran actress Sharmila Tagore said,”Earlier, I have written a couple of columns and essays, but to write 40,000-50,000 words is a huge task.”
“I wanted to write a non-fiction work because I don’t have the imagination for creative fiction. I felt there are certain things about my life that I could draw from and that might be humorous,” she said at the book launch.
In conversation with Barkha Dutt, Soha talked about her journey of writing this book and how she has expressed her personal experiences.
“The insecurities coming along with stardom, comparisons that are made which are very difficult to live up to and my feeling that there is a very big shoe to fill were some of the things that the book is about .
I also feel that striking the right tone with readers about my failures, insecurities and the learning step that come across, but at the same time, not being too hard on myself, was most difficult thing for me,” she said.
The ‘Rang De Basanti’ fame actor said, “it is interesting to be me who belongs to this family of actors and the kind of experiences I had about education, travel and love.
So, I did share that with some of my family members and friends. My family and friends are not the kind of people who blindly praise me. There was a lot of constructive feedback and it was more or less encouraging that’s how I wrote this book”.
Talking about her book, the 39-year-old actress said, “The toughest chapter to write was probably the one called ‘Working Actor’. The other chapters sort of fell together in place, but really, my struggle has been with my profession as an actor, which is such an important part of my life.”
Soha said,”I’m very excited that the book has received such a great response, it’s extremely encouraging for a first-time author! I’ve had so much fun writing it – and to be published by Penguin is very cool.”
On asking how she felt on Soha writing the book, Sharmila Tagore said,”Soha has always been great at speaking and writing, so it came as no surprise when she told me she wanted to pen this book. It’s a great read and I’m glad the readers have loved it.”
When Sharmila was asked if she is also interested in writing a book on her life, she said, “I think that’s a wonderful idea, I have definitely been thinking, but I have not put pen to paper, and Soha has been beating me to it. Maybe Soha can write my book.”
The book carries unreleased images of Soha Ali Khan’s family and childhood, along with a few of her adorable baby daughter Inaaya. From endearing characteristics of her father to her mother’s illustrious family tree, her relationships and her struggle with writing, Soha’s debut novel is a breezy and riveting read, full of insights and humour. Published by Penguin Randomhouse India, “The Perils of Being Moderately Famous” is a collection of Soha’s 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. (AGENCIES)
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