The stories of women in this section all involve the baazis, gambles that women in tier-II cities take in an attempt to live a life they dream of. It also throws light on the nature of resistance for women in tier two cities, away from the cosmopolitan milieu of the big cities. ‘Baazigar’ tackles the changes in the nature of relations within families and the societal contract during this economic boom. The expansion in large scale manufacturing, urbanisation and the boom in IT services changed the nature of the economic opportunities available, thereby impacting familial relationships too. A transformation of this magnitude that included structural changes in the economy was bound to have an impact on women. The 1991 reforms are estimated to have pulled millions of people out of poverty. Her astute observation about the gaps in confidence arising out of social conditioning - “The upper class mating market seemed neatly divided between males with unwarranted self confidence and women with unwarranted self-doubt” - makes one question and ponder over what can be done to bridge these gaps. “Why do women resign their love lives to the trappings of male power and prestige? Why do so many successful women acquire a taste and tolerance for inequality in their private lives?”Īn interesting side story is the ringside view of Delhi drawing rooms with their own codes and the trappings of power and male chauvinism. Questions are raised regarding gender relations among the well-heeled. The stories, one of which is the author’s own, and interviews of women bring out the contradictions women confront and the compromises they have to make despite being educated and upwardly mobile. ‘Fantasies’ give a glimpse into what Shah Rukh inspired in young elite girls growing up in the 1990s. You will find yourself nodding in agreement! Sample this - Salman (Khan) protects women, Aamir teaches us and Shah Rukh sees us. The magical SRK touch adds to the readability and fun quotient of the book. It has a generous smattering of songs and dialogues from SRK’s movies, deploying his work as a literary tool to string together stories of women whose paths would otherwise never cross. The book draws on her work of following the trajectories of a group of women across caste, religion and class groups over several years. What makes this work special is her ability to use heart-warming, everyday stories to provide a relatable view of complex economic phenomena. The author wears her economist hat lightly, but combines hard economic data, such as falling female labour force participation rate, hidden taxes women pay and a whole host of metrics, with surveys and interviews to paint a picture of the state of women. The watershed moment of the 1991 reforms serves as an anchor, as the author traces the rise of the Indian economy and the simultaneous arrival of Shah Rukh Khan as a superstar. Most importantly, it provides women a toolkit to navigate the changing landscape of economy and society in their search for freedom and happiness. It presents a powerful commentary on the lives of Indian women and the ways they deal with inequities. But it does much more than just giving a peek into the iconic status of one of India’s favourite film stars Shah Rukh Khan. I picked up the book just to relive my own fan-girl moments. This genre-bending book looking at women in post-1991 India draws you in from the word go. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was anything but. With a title that screams Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh you would perhaps be forgiven if you thought this book fits in the chick-lit genre.
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