The word Apple Box and below it the name Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush really caught my attention. The book Standing On An Apple Box: The Story of a Girl among the Stars was the memoir of Aishwarya about her life as a daughter of Superstar, wife of a star and as a an individual. 

My query what Apple Box means got answered in the first chapter itself. Apple Box is the set boxes of different sizes which can be sacked inside one another. It serves many purpose during the shoot but the most importantly it is used to adjust the height of the camera. 

For Aishwarya, Apple Box is the most humblest thing on the set surrounded by giants like cameras, lights and other things. Kind of a metaphor which resemble her own life surrounded by mega stars yet has her footing and twinkling. 

I was awestruck when I started reading her memoir. She has shared many heartfelt anecdotes. Aishwarya might be a daughter and wife of superstars but she writes like a regular girl,  which made her memoir so relatable. Her life was no different while growing up from my life or life of any other middle class girl. 

We all know Rajnikanth as a movie star or rather larger than life-size movie star. But Aishwarya has made her readers acquaint with a completely different Rajnikanth who is a doting father, a caring family man, a spiritually evolved Rajnikanth and above all a good human being. She has shared some interesting anecdotes related to Rajnikanth which became life lessons for the author in her life. Those could be inspiring stories for anyone.

I was really touched by the story of her mother-in-law who with a paltry income of her husband run a household with four children. Really this is the story of many thousands of women in India who themselves remain hungry to feed their children first. Indeed she got the reward for her patience and sacrifice in the form of four well-groomed and established children. 

The author’s writing style is simple yet unique. It touches the soul and heart may be because she writes from heart with complete honesty. All her anecdotes has a visual effect. This could be because she is a film director. She wrote them like a story which readers could easily visualise. I felt like a spectator in most of her anecdotes.

The author also gives some interesting metaphors related to different kinds of friendship. I really find it very interesting. So sharing it with all of you.

Aren’t they interesting. Aishwarya is indeed, a born storyteller. Her writing itself has a soothing affect. Looking forward to read her fiction stories.

The Verdict:

 Reading the book was a splendid journey into the life of a celebrity child who was raised no differently from an ordinary child. Something which reflects in the writing of the author.

I think I loved this book because I read it as Aishwarya as an individual and not expecting the book to be the story of Rajnikanth and Dhanush.