FROM SCREEN TO SCRIPT

When public figures choose the page over the spotlight

There was a time when a celebrity book meant a quick memoir or a few headline-making excerpts. Now, it means something more intentional.

Actors and public figures are increasingly turning to writing not for headlines, but for depth. The page offers control. It offers reflection. And audiences today are far more open to seeing a different side of the stars they follow.

One of the earliest and most successful transitions in India came from Twinkle Khanna. Her debut Mrs Funnybones became a bestseller, followed by The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad and Pyjamas Are Forgiving. What worked was her voice — sharp, witty and unapologetically honest. She did not simply publish books; she built a parallel identity as a writer.

Actor and author Soha Ali Khan also carved her space with her memoir The Perils of Being Moderately Famous. Wry, self-aware and deeply personal, the book offered an insider’s view of growing up in a celebrated family while navigating her own journey. It resonated for its honesty and humour.

On the international front, Matthew McConaughey surprised many with Greenlights. Part memoir, part philosophy, Greenlights blended personal stories with life lessons in a way that felt reflective rather than promotional. It became a global bestseller, reinforcing that audiences are willing to engage with long-form storytelling when it feels authentic.

Earlier, globally positioned yet rooted in India, Priyanka Chopra Jonas added her own chapter with the memoir Unfinished. In it, she spoke about ambition, migration, setbacks and identity, shaping her narrative in her own words rather than through tabloid lenses.

Now, actor and digital voice Aisha Sharma is stepping into this evolving space with her debut book Bloom, published by Penguin Random House India.

Over the years, Aisha has cultivated a community that connects deeply with her reflective posts and personal insights. Unlike headline-driven memoirs, Bloom leans inward — a collection of meditative reflections centred on strength, softness and self-awareness.

In an industry that constantly demands visibility, choosing to write is, in many ways, an act of slowing down. With this debut, Aisha Sharma joins a growing list of names proving that storytelling does not end with the screen. Sometimes, it truly begins on the page.