My Bollywood Dream

July 15, 2023
A girl longs to become a filmmaker. The young narrator and her family, who live in Mumbai, go to the theater to watch Bollywood movies every Friday night. Real life fuses with fantasy as they make their way through traffic--in the child's imagination, a policeman directing traffic transforms into an action star, travelers on the Bandra-Worli bridge become a crowd of dancers, and the child envisions herself capturing it all on camera. At the theater, while munching popcorn, the family settles in to watch the film and step into the cinematic world for a few hours. By the end of the story, everyone is shaking a leg to the music, with the recognition that Bollywood unites everyone across ages and cultures. The depiction of Mumbai is joyful, the small shops suggesting a 1990s setting. The saturated images are appealing and filled with energy though not quite as lavish as an actual Bollywood film. Still, the nod toward masala film--Bollywood movies that blend genres--is absolutely delightful, as is the young protagonist, whose aspirations will surely inspire many kids to pursue their own goals. Indeed, a flash-forward, showing her as an adult confidently directing her own film, is a charming touch. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An uplifting love letter to Bollywood that will encourage readers to dream big. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 16, 2023
Each Friday, this book’s unnamed protagonist heads with their family to find “dreams and adventures” in a Bollywood movie screen. As old melodies fill the car on their drive to the theater, the child imagines themself filming a police officer jumping across buildings as well as people breaking into dance on the Bandra-Worli Bridge. Finally at the movies, and enjoying snacks of popcorn and samosas, the family soon joins the onscreen hero, and the audience, in moving to the beat of a Bollywood tune—it’s “a room of different people, from difference places, living this moment together.” Dwivedi’s saturated illustrations read as a love letter to “sparkling Mumbai,” and details throughout—song lyrics circling characters, visual references to classic films—wink at Bollywood buffs. It’s an enjoyable trip to the movies whose affirming ending highlights the way imagination and reality can converge. An author’s note concludes. Ages 3–7.

Starred review from November 1, 2023

Gr 2-4-Told through beautiful imagery and lyrical prose, this book soars in language, illustration, and cultural importance. A young unnamed narrator describes her love of Bollywood films. As she, Ma, and Baba travel through Mumbai to the theater, the narrator imagines life as a Bollywood movie, including choreographed dancing, heroic feats, and abundant color and food. Great imagery, metaphors, and similes-"Bollywood music is like listening to the first monsoon rain-the rhythm is steady and familiar"-parallel what the young girl sees on the screen and what she envisions in her real life. In an author's note, Dwivedi describes Bollywood as a bridge between her and her desi community after she moved to the United States. Lyrical language depicts the depth, joy, and mystique of the very specific aspects of this elaborate style of filmmaking. The text incorporates words such as "khushi" ("with happiness") and phrases ("Aab maaza aayega!" or "Now this should be fun!") to bring Mumbai culture to life. VERDICT This is a well told and colorful rendering of the importance of art through film, and one young girl's connection to her culture.-Tracey S. Hodges

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