by PRIYAM MARIK
Author and economist Shrayana Bhattacharya decodes why his vulnerable masculinity draws ‘India’s Lonely Young Women’ towards SRK
In her book, Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence, Shrayana Bhattacharya, a “hopelessly biased fan of Shah Rukh”, tells the stories of a diverse group of Indian women – their dreams, disappointments and decisions – through the lens of their desire for SRK.
In doing that, the economist at the World Bank who is currently based in Delhi, has dovetailed economic analysis with literary portraits, personal admissions with social commentary and fandom with facts to produce a book that is as intriguing as it is illuminating.
In a multi-layered conversation, My Kolkata caught up with Bhattacharya over Zoom to discuss the loneliness of Indian women and decode the charm of Shah Rukh.
Edited excerpts from the chat.
My Kolkata: Before we get to Shah Rukh Khan and the role he plays in your book, tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to being an economist at the World Bank.
Shrayana Bhattacharya: Like a lot of nerdy kids, I had studied economics in college. But instead of the conventional path of taking up management and working in the private sector, I decided to study further and then got a job at this feminist think thank called the Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST). After that I went off to pursue a course on development economics and public administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. Following my time at Harvard, I thought briefly about wanting to do a PhD, but realised I wasn’t clever enough to do that. But I was clever enough to apply and compete for a job at the World Bank, which I managed to get.
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