Anirudha

In the 1970s, the same decade that the angry young man prevailed as the prototypical protagonist in Bollywood, another model of masculinity was being scripted in the movies by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterji. This young man was typically a city-dweller who didn’t challenge authority as much as quietly bemoan it. Mousy and good-natured, he was more concerned with domesticity and matters of the heart. Vidya Sinha and Amol Palekar in a scene from Chhoti Si Baat (1976). (Film still) 364pp, ₹559; Penguin…

In Sandip Ray’s 1988 documentary Zindagi Ek Safar, Rajesh Khanna recalls his first meeting with Kishore Kumar. The ace singer had called him to his place, where he listened to the actor talking and reacting to his questions for more than 30 minutes. Khanna later figured out that Kishore was studying his face, voice and style of speech so he could adapt their characteristics into his own voice. He was so successful at it that when Khanna first heard Mere Sapnon Ki Rani from Aradhana, he felt like he was singing it…