Book chronicling life and legacy of filmmaker Raj Khosla to release on May 20

Raj Khosla was behind some of the classic movies

Publishing house Hachette India on Tuesday announced the first authorised biography of writer-filmmaker Raj Khosla ahead of his birth centenary in June.

Penned by author Amborish Roychoudhury in association with the late filmmaker's daughters Anita Khosla and Uma Khosla Kapur, Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography is scheduled to hit the stands on May 20. It turns the spotlight on Khosla’s cinematic vision and legacy, while humanising him in all his glory, a press release stated.

In a career spanning three decades and 27 films, Khosla directed classics including CID, Dostana, Do Raaste, Do Badan, and yesteryear star Sadhana’s blockbuster Mere Saaya.

"It took me four years to write this book, but I’m so happy -- and fortunate -- that it is finally releasing on the eve of his birth centenary. His family, especially his daughters Anita and Uma, have been the driving force behind the book.

"Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography contains stories that have never been told. It has something for both the geek and the fan," said Roychoudhury, who earlier also authored In a Cult of Their Own: Bollywood Beyond Box Office (2018).

Through interviews with family, friends and coworkers – including Asha Bhosle, Waheeda Rehman, Mumtaz, Asha Parekh, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Sharmila Tagore, Dharmendra, Manoj Kumar, Prem Chopra, Bindu, Mahesh Bhatt and Aamir Khan – the biography aims to address the glaring gap in the history of Bollywood.

Examining Khosla’s work, the book reveals a director and a man who was as "talented and sensitive as he was flawed."

"The result is a tender treatment that lays bare a caring employer, a Napoleon fanboy, a maudlin soul who wore his heart on his sleeve, a passionate lover of music, and a man who transformed Hindi cinema," the publisher said in a statement.

The filmmaker, who trained under legendary actor-director Guru Dutt, was also credited for shooting musical sequences with dexterity. Some of the most iconic songs shot by Khosla include Lag jaa gale, Mera saaya saath hoga, Jaane kya baat hai, Hai apna dil toh awara and Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan.

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The book's foreword is written by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.

"Raj Sahab’s story is larger than my memories, larger than any single telling. He was a magician, a creator of light and shadow, a man no biography could fully capture. But I salute the audacity of Amborish who has dared to do that…giving (Raj) his rightful place among the greats of Indian cinema. He deserves nothing less," Bhatt writes in his praise for the acclaimed filmmaker.

Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography is priced at Rs 799.