STARLET RIVALS

Can an outsider make it in Bollywood?

When 12-year-old Bela Khanna, who dreams of being a movie star, submits her video and is accepted as a contestant for the popular TV talent show Dance Starz, she and her family are thrilled. Bela wins and is given a scholarship to train with celebrities’ kids at Bollywood Academy on Kohinoor Island, just outside her home city of Mumbai. Bela hits the ground running, with an audition and photoshoot—but when a story about nepotism in the industry breaks, the dynamics among the star kids and the others start to change. Will Bela be able to cope with the mounting pressure? Throughout her journey, Bela finds comfort and support in her family, her best friends from her old life, and some trusted folks within the school who also come from outside the film world. She learns to navigate the roller-coaster world of show business with aplomb, modeling how to seek support through healthy friendships. Readers will empathize with Bela, but her characterization would have benefited from more exploration of how dance became her happy place, and her lengthy internal monologues might cause their attention to waver. While the ending feels abrupt, this series opener sets the stage for more glamorous adventures. Opening and closing illustrations convey the story’s essence.

An uneven take on Bollywood fame.