Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, Smita Pati... why are there few biographies on the stars of Hindi parallel cinema? Sunday MiD DAY ASKS star biographers

IN November this year, Om Puri's first ever biography was published, while one on Smita Patil came out two months earlier. From all accounts, there are none planned just yet on their contemporaries from the parallel new wave cinema, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi.

This, despite the fact, that most made their debut in cinema in the 1970s, nearly 40 years ago. Take the comparison of actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who already have more than four biographies on them (SRK is even penning his autobiography). Have we forgotten the history and significance of our parallel cinema? "It's as if we've forgotten how they contributed," comments Guru Dutt and Lata Mangeshkar biographer Nasreen Munni Kabir, "As if the work of these actors has slipped out of our consciousness."

Publisher Ajay Mago of Om International Books, that has printed biographies on Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Rajnikant, says that part of the reason is because you don't have to hardsell a megastar's biography. "Om Puri's biography makes sense because he has a more international appeal. It depends on how active the actor is. Our target audience for biographies is the age group between 25-40 years; they have to be able to connect to the actor's work."