Bollywood Striptease
Bollywood Striptease is a 2012 novel by Neeta Shah. The plot of this novel is centered on Nikki, a chartered accountant, who wants to become a Bollywood actress. To pursue her dream, she quits her job and has to undergo difficult situations including the casting couch. The book is published by Rupa & Co. According to the author Neeta Shah, the novel is a "factual, but fictionalised" description of the Hindi film industry. Plot. The central character of the novel is Nikki, an attractive chartered accountant. She aspires to become a Bollywood actress. But Nikki realizes if she does n't act soon, her dream will never come true. So she quits her stable job to pursue her ambition, but she is met with hostility by her family and other people because of her unconventional decision. Her only source of encouragement is her two good friends, Shonali and Karan. In the film industry, she meets unexpected situations including rejections at auditions, offers of casting couch, and a difficult relationship. Reviews. Lasyapriya Sundaram of CNN-IBN has described the novel as "a light and frothy take on the big bad world of Hindi cinema". According to Sundaram, "More than being an  intriguing narrative the book is closer to being a handbook on 'how to' navigate your way in a world which comes with its share of the good, bad and the ugly." However the CNN-IBN review criticized the book for failing to portray the inside of Bollywood accurately. Blessy Chettiar in her review on "Daily News and Analysis" asserted the author used "flowery language" in the novel to depict Nikki's daily experiences. The review claimed the language used is "not necessarily enlightening". She concluded, "Not insightful even by a long shot, Bollywood Striptease is only a tease, telling and  re-telling what you already know." Actress Riya Sen, who launched the book, claimed the novel exposes the inside of Bollywood, saying, "This book has everything and I think what she has written is true."