In the age of the manicured celebrity image, Anupama Chopra turns the interview into an unembellished archive of India’s popular culture.

Before the pan-India films became a phenomenon that united screens and streaming platforms fragmented audiences and their tastes forever, Anupama Chopra’s Film Companion was in the front row, week after week, capturing what lies behind the ephemeral, breathless world of Indian cinema.

Dining with Stars features Anupama Chopra’s most special interviews, including some by her colleague Sneha Menon Desai. This is a collection of candid conversations with India’s biggest superstars that capture how Indian cinema and the entertainment industry have grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry over the years.

From Sushant Singh Rajput contemplating authenticity as a defense mechanism,
Ranveer Singh managing his chaos and a hardened heart,
to Deepika Padukone meticulously colour-coding her script and Sanjay Leela Bhansali purging his demons onto a soundstage — in here are conversations with the most celebrated names in Indian cinema, vulnerable and baring their imperfect cores beneath the glamour.

Dining with Stars is a journey through the minds of India’s finest artists at crucial turning points, offering a rare, unvarnished look at the price of fame, the alchemy of stardom, and the sheer nerve it takes to survive in blinding lights following you all the time.