At first glance, the book I’m talking about today seems like the ultimate odd-couple pairing – a insightful analysis of the condition & economic prospects of women in India, combined with the adoration of a national movie icon. However, as it turns out, these two subjects might not be so disparate after all.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Shrayana Bhattacharya, an Indian economist about her 2021 book, Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh. The book follows Shrayana’s time spent collecting data on women’s ambiguously defined and chronically undervalued employment across India. Over time, she started to notice a thread common to many of the women and girls she spoke to: a love for a certain Bollywood superstar called Shah Rukh Khan – a love which she in fact shared. Unlike other male action movie stars in India who are big on muscle and short on emotion, Shah Rukh, with his sad, gentle eyes, slighter frame, and willingness to help his cinematic leading ladies peel carrots and wash dishes, has struck a unique chord with the country’s women.

A lack of financial freedom and bodily autonomy hangs over the lives of the women Shrayana talks to – eighty percent of Indian women need approval from a family member to go outside the home to visit a health centre (171), and three in five adolescent girls feel unsafe in public places (196), she tells us. However, what shines through this text is the off-the-charts wattage of respect and affection with which she tells their stories – allowing both the harsh realities of these women’s day-to-day lives and their playful, pragmatic crush on a good-looking movie star to exist simultaneously.

Even though the book is a rigorous and detailed sociological analysis, the writing is accessible, fun and witty. It would be a perfect read for someone who is interested in feminism, economics and politics, but who might equally be a little apprehensive about approaching the drier tomes that tend to populate non-fiction bestseller lists.

Books mentioned in the episode:

⁠⁠Find Shrayana:

Instagram: ⁠@bshrayana

Twitter: @bshrayana

Buy her book: https://amzn.eu/d/2YpWR4A

Follow me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@litwithcharles⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more book reviews and recommendations!