>Bombay Duck is a Fish by Kanika Dhillon

But as life would have it, when Neki finally make it as an Assistant Director in bollywood, albeit with ease due to the recommendation of one of her room-mates, little does she suspect that one day she will be contemplating leaping off the terrace, while browsing through her diary ‘Nano’ which bears the harsh testimony of her everyday adventures at home, with her three roommates and the fight for supremacy on the sets of bollywood.

From here on the journey unfolds of her daily trysts with the other members in the crew comprising of five other assistant directors. She is confronted with the competition among the line producer, the junior artists, foreigners, but in the middle of every disaster that happens on the sets, it all finally comes down to her. Too add to the drama in her life, Neki also ends up falling in love with Ranvir Khanna, the second lead actor, which complicates her life further.

Amidst the cut-throat competition to be on the top, she has to work hard to have her way up among the other assistant directors and struggle every inch to understand the ground rules there, but it is the approval of the director which makes her strive for the best. And to unravel the entire mystery of the life of Neki and finally what happens in the terrace, you have to leaf through the entire story to know it.

The author paints a vivid picture of the film studios to the bungalows of the superstars and the simple reality that constant determination and the will to succeed will ultimately decide your fate in life. The book is about a trial or the struggle through which any bollywood aspirant goes through where he or she has to keep adapting everyday until you make it so big that you’re a household name.

The novel delves beyond the glamorous world of bollywood and the best part is even in the darkness, the touch of satire and the easy pace of narration keeps the reader hooked till the very end. The author shows the inside story and behind the scene episodes of bollywood to readers where in a crew even a junior member sometimes can yield more power than an experienced veteran just because the profession demands so.

The book simply flows on with numerous interesting real-life situations and the cocktail of love, betrayal, ambition, jealousy and tragedy making it a perfect pot-boiler like any bollywood action movie.

It’s a kind of mini hand-guide of the way to the top without any sugar coating for young bollywood aspirants. Overall the book is well narrated and the characterization is very good. The writing is quite light and impressive and will keep you glued till the very end.