HERO WORSHIP

Mukesh Manjunath's funny and informative book explains how and why Telugu screen deities come into existence

- Jai Arjun Singh

THE AGE OF HEROES: The Incredible World of Telugu Cinema by Mukesh Manjunath HARPERCOLLINS *399;208 pages

It’s rare to find good personal writing in cinema books, but Mukesh Manjunath’s The Age of Heroes—about the cult of ‘heroes’ in Telugu cinema, and how the relationship between superstar/ deity and adoring fan plays out across such faultlines as caste, class and gender—is a fine exception. In one passage, he mentions his grandmother’s obsession with the superstar N.T. Rama Rao, whom she never saw in person. The story culminates in the author realising why he was her favourite grandchild— because he was born on NTR’s birthday.