 In the novel, Maya is the archetypal dutiful wife and daughter-in-law of Hindi films.Mehnaz Elahi, Ashok Banjara's mistress can be correlated to Parveen Babi and Rekha, both very popular Bollywood actresses whom Amitabh Bachchan was rumoured to have had affairs with.In the novel Mehnaz Elahi is characterised as a vainglorious and self-absorbed mistress.