September 5, 2023 by Lantana Publishing
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
In this sequel to Starlet Rivals, we get to know more about Simi, another student at Bollywood Academy. Simi's father is a famous Tollywood star (the film industry in the south Indian state of Telagana, and her mother is also an actor, but is struggling to find parts as she ages. They are both pushing Simi to practice her acting and dancing skills so that she can get into films as well, but Simi's real love is music. She and her friend Zeeshan have a band with Joya and Raktim, and she loves composing for the group. When she is at home, she spends a lot of time with her mother, and hears a lot about her "perfect" cousin Priya. She is glad to get back to school where she has a bit more freedom. When there is a competition for a school band to play at an awards ceremony, Simi's friends decide to call themselves the "B Tunes" and enter. They get chosen, but Simi doesn't take to the stage. The group gets a lot of attention, and Simi is rather jealous. She is glad when her father introduces her to the famous composer Choudhary, and he refers to Simi as "Melody Queen" and is impressed with her work. Simi also finds, however, that her opportunities are limited because she is a girl, and there is not a tradition of women composing. Her parents make her think that music is "distracting" her, and she even agrees to an audition for a mother/daughter roles because she thinks it might help her mother's acting career. At the audition, however, she is uncomfortable and purposefully does a poor job. When she posts a piece she has composed on social media under the name Melody Queen, the song goes viral. Even CI loved that this was set in Hyderabad, and I learned so much about Tollywood. I knew about Bollywood, but didn't know that different Indian languages have studios devoted to them; Tollywood concentrates on films in the Telegu language of Telagana. Watching Simi's mother struggle to find roles because she was over thirty was also interesting, since her father didn't have any trouble.
I loved that this was set in Hyderabad, and I learned so much about Tollywood. I knew about Bollywood, but didn't know that different Indian languages have studios devoted to them; Tollywood concentrates on films in the Telegu language of Telagana. Watching Simi's mother struggle to find roles because she was over thirty was also interesting, since her father didn't have any trouble.
There are also lots of details about the music that Simi is writing and producing, and about the sorts of classes that she takes at the performing arts academy she attends. There are lots of students at the school, and we see a good cross section of them and the fields that they study.
Young readers who harbor ambitions of going into the performing arts as a career will find this book intriguing, and readers who enjoy learning about Bollywood in books like Chanani's Pashmina, Bajaj's Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, or Krishnaswami's The Grand Plan to Fix Everything will enjoy this look behind the scenes of the entertainment industry in India.
I loved that this was set in Hyderabad, and I learned so much about Tollywood. I knew about Bollywood, but didn't know that different Indian languages have studios devoted to them; Tollywood concentrates on films in the Telegu language of Telagana. Watching Simi's mother struggle to find roles because she was over thirty was also interesting, since her father didn't have any trouble.
There are also lots of details about the music that Simi is writing and producing, and about the sorts of classes that she takes at the performing arts academy she attends. There are lots of students at the school, and we see a good cross section of them and the fields that they study.
Young readers who harbor ambitions of going into the performing arts as a career will find this book intriguing, and readers who enjoy learning about Bollywood in books like Chanani's Pashmina, Bajaj's Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, or Krishnaswami's The Grand Plan to Fix Everything will enjoy this look behind the scenes of the entertainment industry in India.
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