Big money, high stakes, lots of glamour. The film industry in Mumbai should be the ideal setting for a whodunit but few crime writers have turned their attention to it. Which gives to Murder in Bollywood by Shadaab Amjad Khan, the son of Amjad "Gabbar" Khan, a degree of novelty. And Khan does not disappoint, spinning an absorbing yarn involving two people — a high-profile director and his superstar wife — murdered on the same night. Dead bodies turn up at regular intervals, as they should in a good murder mystery; the investigator, Inspector Shahryar Khan, is handsome and clever; and the resolution is satisfying, though a little predictable.
What is the story inspired from?
I'm not the kind to "borrow" ideas but movies are in my blood, and there was this one case, that happened way back in 1947-48, that made me think of setting a murder mystery in Bollywood. This was the young waitress, who worked as an extra in Hollywood who was found brutally murdered. She became famous as Black Dahlia. The case was never solved because the police detectives ran up against several big names.
How much of the book is real?
The plot is completely fictional but much of the settings and the characters are taken from real life. For instance, the popular star who supplies the finest quality cocaine in the city is a real person. And so are the many studios where much of the action is set. Many of the studios, where I would accompany my father on his shoots, are falling apart, mired in legal disputes between owners and builders.
How did this book come about?
This is my second book. The first, Shanti Memorial, came out two years ago, but I had a tough time getting a publisher. Shanti Memorial did not do well commercially. But it got me critical appreciation which helped when I wrote this book because S Hussain Zaidi, who co-published the book with Penguin, knew about me.
What next?
I'll know only in November how Murder in Bollywood is selling, but word of mouth has been strong. If it does well, I have plans for several books involving Shahryar Khan — a kind of franchise. I have already spoken to Hussain Zaidi and Penguin about it. Also, I would like to begin work on my father's biography, a project that is long overdue. There are also other novels planned.
