Mysore/Mysuru: Renowned film journalist and author Bhawana Somaaya offered an engaging glimpse into her life and career at an English session titled ‘Star Biographies to a Partition Memoir,’ held as part of the 9th edition of the Mysuru Literature Festival yesterday. The session was moderated by film critic Maithili Rao.

Bhawana Somaaya, known for her celebrated biographies of Bollywood legends Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, has also expanded her literary footprint beyond cinema. Notably, she translated several Gujarati books authored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi into English.

Reading excerpts from her memoir ‘Farewell Karachi,’ Somaaya reflected on stories her father once told her about their ancestral home in Karachi. She spoke movingly of her family’s migration to Mumbai following the Partition, a pivotal experience that shaped much of her writing. Drawing from over five decades of experience in film journalism, Somaaya recounted her college years, early days as a journalist, and the evolution of her career in the glamour-filled world of Indian cinema.

She also shared personal anecdotes and insights from her autobiography, which chronicles not just her professional achievements but also her family’s journey through post-Partition India.