Starry Nights, is an illustrious novel where the pungent ink of the writer illustrates the various faces of woman. The painful sores of the society are ideally exposed in this novel while making Starry Nights a matchless anecdote of the modern society.
Born in a typical Maharashtrian Saraswat Brahmin family Shobha Rajadhyaksha, popularly known as Shobha De started her career as writer in 1988. She graduated from St. Xaviers`s college with psychology as her subject. Shobha de was always one of the modern-day women authors who are now expressing themselves freely and boldly and on a variety of themes. She always remains unique in selecting her subjects for the novel. She never felt scared of expressing anything in her writing. She tried to clear her point of view from a feminine eye without adopting feminist postures. Shobha De made it clear in one of her interviews when she said, "The label of a `feminist writer` is one that marginalizes. I for one identify myself as a woman writer because of being read, judged and perceived differently by male readers on account of my gender." In a way Shobha De personifies the dilemma that has chased Indian woman writers. She thinks that in earlier days the women writers were ignored, sidelined and sometimes made silenced if they tried to step out from the family`s boundary. The women were treated like minority group. But this is the time when all should revolt back and express the right thing in right way.
Synopsis:
`Starry nights` by Shobha De portrays the story of Aasha Rani and Akshay that is based on a real life love story of two pairs of celluloid stars. It was a best seller in India after which Shobha De became the house name for a special class of people. The central character in starry nights is Asha rani. She is dark sweet girl from Chennai. She is trying hard to become a film star. Her amma instigated her to be in the film world by hook or by crook. When she was fifteen years she has to sleep with Kishenbhai, one film producer to get the chance in film. He sponsored one film for her and also helped her to get the appropriate persons to get the roles. In the process Kishenbhai falls in love with Ashs Rani but it was too late as she already gets engaged with Akhshay Arora who was a famous bollywood star rather sex symbol. Asha Rani sent her amma back to Chennai when one day she tries to stop Akshay to bit Asha. In later days Akshay gets bored with Asha and as he was married returns back to his wife. The worst part is the actor reveals in one of the leading magazine that Asha is a pornographic actress and he doesn`t want to do any role with her. Eventually she gets attached to Sheth Amirchand, a Member of Parliament and starts working under his control. After some days she goes to Chennai to do an art film. But her love for Akshay is still there so she tries to rekindle it. But gets frustrated after knowing that his love for her is only because of her stardom. She attempts suicide but failed to do so. In the process she marries a New Zealander named Jay and has a child with him. Eventually Akshay gets AIDS because of his lifestyle. Asha returned to New Zealand and finally after many incidents decides to come back to India and make Sasha, Asha Rani`s daughter a prospering film star.
The book `Starry Nights` is published by the penguin Books in the year of 1991.
`Starry Nights` by Shobha De is the story of a high-class society, which often seems abnormal to some people. Shobha Dey`s unique writing style uncovers the sores and wounds of the society somewhat mercilessly. This is a piece by Shobha De which portrays the dark corners of film Industry that can be informative in some cases.