To Be or Not To Be : Amitabh Bachchan

Contents: I. The interview: 1. In conversation. 2. First impressions. 3. Grand illusions. 4. Reel life, real life. 5. Lights! camera! reaction! 6. Price of politics. 7. Phase off/phase on. 8. Homeward bound. 9. The next act. 10. And miles to go. II. Frame to frame : a photo trip. III. Stolen moments : a candid collection of private hours. IV. Matinee magic : entertainment remixed. V. Hit parade : music ‘n’ dance. VI. Tenderness, togetherness:  1. The door Ajar : Abhishek Bachchan. 2. What a feeling! : Shweta Nanda. 3. Reaching out : Nikhil Nanda. 4. Ever after : Jaya Bachchan. VII. Total recall : a comprehensive filmography.

“In the world’s most prolific film industry, actors occupy a pre-eminent position. Ever since the birth of cinema more than a century ago, the proficiency of performances in variegated roles by actors has presided over the imagination of millions of movie aficionados.

While a popular Indian film is wedded to certain conventions—ranging from musical interludes and a running length of nearly three hours to a pronounced accent on entertainment and the attainment of poetic justice—Amitabh Bachchan has had to fit into the mould and strike contact with audiences of widely disparate tastes, attitudes and temperaments.

The updated, paperback edition of To Be or Not to Be Amitabh Bachchan looks at the life and craft of the actor, who has been at the forefront of Indian cinema for well over three decades, with a roster of over 100 films. Several epithets have been bestowed upon him. The media and the mass audience anointed him with the title of superstar, while a BBC poll established him as Star of the Millennium.

A lavishly illustrated, comprehensive study of the actor's trajectory, subtextually this volume reflects the course that film culture has taken from the 1970s right to this day.

In addition to a critical analysis, the extended, in-depth interview encompasses events and films released after the publication of the hardcover edition. The endeavour is underscored with personalised accounts written by the actor's family, providing the reader with a rare glimpse into a world that has been beset by myriad joys and anxieties - perhaps more acutely than any other household that has been in the public glare relentlessly.

For the cineaste, the filmography is a ready Bachchan-reckoner. Film stills and several family keepsake memorabilia, traced back to well-preserved albums, add enormously to the authenticity and reference value of this entertainment-packed book." (jacket)