It seems Bollywood actors are not willing to tell the truth about their lives

Excerpts from Yasser Usman's biography of Sanjay Dutt have been slammed by Dutt who says he never authorized the biography.

Does that mean we can trust him to tell the truth in his authorized biography? He claims one is on the way. I seriously doubt it.

The "authorized" biopic being directed by "friend" Raj Kumar Hirani is already being perceived as glossing over many well-known facts from Dutt's life to make the picture more palatable.

There have been a couple of "authorized" biographies lately, namely the Rishi Kapoor and Karan Johar which have worked well, given the constraints. 

But that's it. It seems Bollywood actors are not willing to tell the truth about their lives.

"It would hurt too many people. And unless one is willing to tell the entire truth there is no point to the biography," Mr Bachchan once told me, as we decided to not do a book on him.

Another senior actor known for his youthful zest and insatiable vivacity told me has put his biography on hold. "Yaar, how can I write about the women I've been with? My wife will walk out. And those women have a life of their own. How can I barge in with my honest confessions to disrupt their lives?"

I know. Life is a bitch.

Recent examples of biographies that have gone wretchedly wrong include Nawazuddin Siddiqui's memoirs which had to be hastily withdrawn from book shops after the ladies about whom he kissed and told, objected.

We now hear that several biographies that were in their planning stages have been aborted for the fear of an unreasonable backlash. These include biographies on Madhuri Dixit, Dharmendra, Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi.

My own Lata Mangeshkar biography lies unfinished. I am sorry but I cannot see any blemishes in her life. I am not saying they don't exist. I just can't see them, that's all. Gods have feet of clay. Mine doesn't. 

At one point I was planning to write a biography of Kamal Haasan because not only was he a close friend but not afraid to tell the truth about his life. However his newly-discovered new passion for politics automatically positions him a place of prevarication.

I'd still like to complete my Lata Mangeshkar biography for two reasons. One, because her life existence and her bearing are enormously motivational. Two, because to me she is the greatest Indian ever born. Yes, greater than any Gandhi.

(Subhash K Jha is a film critic and movie expert)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)