Westland Books acquires film-maker and critic Khalid Mohamed’s book The Imperfect Prince
A fictional narrative inspired by real-life events
City Air News
Apr 15, 2023 12:09
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Westland Books announced the acquisition of The Imperfect Prince by acclaimed film-maker and critic Khalid Mohamed today. The Imperfect Prince will be published in October 2023.
A powerful novel about murder, conspiracy and justice, and what it means to be family, The Imperfect Prince gives us Shifa Syed Qureshi, an investigative journalist who sets out to unearth the mystery behind her half-brother’s death. Unlike her, the titular prince Rao Raja Jaiveer Singh had grown up in the royal household of Aryagarh after the death of their parents. Their worlds couldn’t have been more distant—until his shocking murder sends shockwaves through her own life, sending her on a quest that will change everything around and within her.
One of India’s best known film critics, Khalid Mohamed has written a trilogy of films--Mammo, Sardari Begum and Zubeida directed by Shyam Benegal. The last of the three films is where his novel The Imperfect Prince takes off. He has also directed films like Fiza, Tehzeeb and Silsilay and written two novels and three biographies, including Amitabh Bachchan’s official biography, To Be or Not To Be.
Khalid Mohamed said, “The Imperfect Prince is a chunk of my heart that I never dared to dissect before. Based on a hushed-up murder in the aristocracy, it required all the courage I had in me because I was imagining justice through it."
Vidhi Bhargava, Acquiring Editor, Westland Books said, “We’re delighted to have acquired The Imperfect Prince, which sees Khalid Mohamed at the very top of his game. This pacy, gritty novel is layered with the menace that only real life could have lent it.”
