Manish Gaekwad has worked as a journalist based in Mumbai for such publications as Scroll.in and Mid-Day, and freelanced for The Hindu. This is his second book. His first novel, Lean Days, was also published by HarperCollins India in 2018. He has written a web series, She, with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali on Netflix, and is currently working as a senior script creative at Red Chillies Entertainment.
<p>"Born in the kothas of Mumbai and Kolkata, in this poignant memoir Manish Gaekwad narrates the story of his mother, Rekhabai, a gypsy from the Kanjarbhat tribe of Pune, who was sold and trained as a nautch girl. Raising her son, Rekha was aware of the world changing around her. Kothas were no longer a centre for aesthetics, and society ostracized their art. </p><p>How would she provide for him when her career came to a standstill? Manish mixes his mother's shunned narrative with his candour and humour, giving a face and dignity to the many nameless courtesans he has known, and whose stories can be told through him."</p><div><br></div>
