3.10 Yasser Usman: The Biographer That Captures Bollywood’s Golden Era

Find out how he uncovers the untold stories and troubled lives of Bollywood celebrities like Rajesh Khanna, Rekha, Sanjay Dutt and Guru Dutt in his biographies. 

Yasser breaks down his research process - from approaching the celeb for interviews to going through old articles and talking to people who knew them well. He shares some interesting anecdotes about Rajesh Khanna and Rekha, and how the media only focused on certain parts of their lives. He also reveals how his interactions with Guru Dutt’s sister helped him survive the pandemic!

Tara loves learning more about the previous Bollywood era. Michelle loves how he delves into the lives of Bollywood celebs like we delve into the lives of authors! How did Yasser become a Bollywood biographer? How does he decide which celebs to research next? And what are his tips for young and aspiring biographers? Tune in to find out! 

Book Recommendations:

• The Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema by Madhu Jain
• Parveen Babi: A Life by Karishma Upadhyay
• The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Yasser Usman is an award-winning TV journalist and the author of four bestselling film biographies: Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India’s First Superstar; Rekha: The Untold Story and Sanjay Dutt. His recent book is the critically acclaimed - Guru Dutt - An Unfinished Story. He has been a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for excellence in journalism, Indian Telly Award, Red Ink award among many others.

Find the book here: https://www.amazon.in/Guru-Dutt-Unfinished-Yasser-Usman/dp/9386797887 

'Books and Beyond with Bound' is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick. Now trending in 9 countries! Read more: https://boundindia.com/books-and-beyond-podcast/ 

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‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.