What happens when a Bollywood-obsessed director meets a cast that won't dance to his tune?
Themes: Cultural differences, friendship, school project, teamwork, filmmaking

Salman loves Hindi movies and wants to produce a short Bollywood film for his school project. He gathers his friends when he's ready with the script, which is a mashup of all the movies he has ever seen. As director, Salman insists everyone follows the script exactly. But it's full of stereotypes and the cast and crew are not shy about expressing their concerns. Salman wants to remain true to the Bollywood model for his film but when his entire cast threatens to walk out, he has to decide whether to stand firm or find a way to collaborate.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
This book will be a part of Orca’s Noah Text Format in Fall 2026
Age/Grade: 9-12 years/Grades 4-8
Reading Level: 3.6 (Lexile HL640L)
Formats: eBook/ Paperback
Page Count: 128 pages
ISBN:
eBook: 9781459832138
Print: 9781459832114
Nominations and Awards:
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens | 2022 | Commended

Reviews:
"The story will interest students who have their own peer tensions...provides valuable examples of dealing with conflict. Recommended." – CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Project Bollywood is a short, high-interest novel allowing Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop's analogy of allowing readers to see themselves in a mirror or open a window for others to a new perspective. Readers interested in making movies, themes of friendships, and wanting to learn more about Indian culture will enjoy this shorter novel." – Laurie Hnatiuk, Retired Teacher-Librarian, Saskatoon Public School
DISCUSSION GUIDE


© Copyright 1997 - 2026 Mahtab Narsimhan / Stardust Stories. All rights reserved. All Registered Trademarks on site are the property of the respective owners.

By clicking the "Accept" button below, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.