The National Geographic presents the world in a mosaic of colours that are often unique and unrivalled. The magazine of the Wash- ington-headquartered NG Society is a collector's item for many, its yellow-bordered cover familiar to generations of readers.

The February issue of NG Magazine is a collector's item of a different kind - it features matinee idol Shah Rukh Khan on its cover. The story for the lead feature, takes the reader through the pancake world of Mumbai's filmdom, with its exaggerated themes, colours, personalities goes ahead and headlines the story, "Shah Rukh Khan is God".

The long feature turns the arclights on Preity Zinta and Amitabh Bachchan among other stars as well as saucy dancers, telling the story of kitsch and creativity with the striking photography that has made the magazine globally famous.

Presenting a glimpse of the world's largest film industry, the NG feature informs the reader how the arcane, the make-believe and fantasy world of Bollywood keeps millions of Indians hooked to their stars and a world beyond their immediate existence.