From Nazneen to Naina: 20 years of Kareena Kapoor Khan in Bollywood and what that means for India and the rest of the world was officially launched on Tuesday, September 21 at the Press Club of the Union Territory.   

Authored by Canadian journalist Gurpreet Singh, the book is based on her film career so far, and what she has faced from followers of the current right wing Hindu nationalist BJP government, under which attacks on religious minorities have grown.  

In the absence of Singh, the event was held by his media colleagues on Khan’s birthday.  

Among those who unveiled the book were prominent journalists Shiv Inder Singh, Rajeev Khanna and Jasvir Samar, the publisher of the book Satish Gulati, and Singh’s father-in-law and editor of the literary magazine Sirjana, Dr. Raghbir Singh.  

Renowned photo journalist Pankaj Sharma, whose picture is on the cover of the book, also joined them in the ceremony.   

Khan has been under constant backlash for marrying a Muslim man, adopting Khan as her last name, and naming two of her sons Taimur and Jeh, which have been interpreted as an affront by the self-styled defenders of Hindu religion.  

This is a reflection of the growing intolerance in a toxic political environment created by those in power both within and outside the Indian film industry.    

The book talks about her work and goes into the details of her performance as an actor, and as an activist and philanthropist, trying to make connections between the present political situation and its impact on the cinema. It looks deeply into the challenges before her for being a flag bearer of secularism which is despised by the religious bigots who have become emboldened under the BJP regime.  

Her significant screen roles, as someone who stands up against hate, have been underlined in the book, which also attempts to make a critical assessment of her position on issues, such as racism, feminism, environment and state violence. 

For pre order of a copy, please contact Ludhiana-based Chetna Parkashan at 9876207774 or 95011 45039.