Bollywood Dreams

‘My name is India Singh. I’m sixteen and I’m going to be a famous Bollywood star!’

Imagine that your world was like a Bollywood movie. Every day full of angst, drama, colour, music and dancing. India Singh wants her life to be like that. She is determined to make herself into a Bollywood Star. She is directing her family through the camera of her imagination. Her sister Shanti would rather be a horse, but she also likes to dance. Their brother Rahul is happy to step in to play the handsome hero, so is Vijay, her friend Sunita’s brother.

India has a chance to go to Mumbai but her dream is shattered when her protective father uproots the family from their Darjeeling home to move to Sydney. India struggles to find her niche in Australia, torn between her traditional Indian home and the exciting Western World. To India, Sydney is an unfamiliar cross-cultural barrier that prevents her from pursuing her Bollywood dream. In Sydney, India finds herself immersed in a new cast of characters when the family stays with their Australian relatives. Although she is determined to hate everything about Australia, she finds herself being drawn into this thrilling new world. This story is about dreams. It’s about following your passion. It’s about one young girl’s struggle to find her place in the world. It’s about resilience and optimism. It’s about how a small dose of Bollywood magic can brighten up our lives.