A Hollywood fairy-tale romance hews closer to Bluebeard than Cinderella in Advika and the Hollywood Wives, a vivid, engrossing drama by Kirthana Ramisetti (Dava Shastri's Last Day). The closest that aspiring screenwriter Advika has come to stardom in Hollywood is bartending at major awards shows. Her latest gig is an Oscars after-party where she meets renowned, powerful film producer Julian Zelding, fresh off his latest Oscar win. Julian is charming, "Paul Newman-as-elder-statesman hot" and 41 years Advika's senior. Advika is wowed by his attention, lavish gifts, and luxury lifestyle. Julian soothes the loneliness left by the recent accidental death of her twin sister. Advika ignores red flags and marries Julian, despite the hesitation of friends and family. Then Julian's first wife, an actress who divorced him decades ago, dies. She wills "Julian's latest child bride" $1 million and a mysterious film reel on one condition: she must divorce him. This inheritance from a complete stranger throws Advika off balance and sends her on a journey to discover the truth about each of Julian's previous wives--the actress, the singer, and the reality star. Meanwhile, Julian's behavior takes a dark turn. If Advika is to escape, she'll have to rediscover a long-silenced voice: her own.
Ramisetti juxtaposes the glitz and glamour of Hollywood against its underbelly of power imbalances, racism and the consumption of young hopefuls, especially women. Deep, thoughtful characterization of Advika and the former wives brings extra heft to a complex story of wish fulfillment gone wrong. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads