Award-winning journalist Sonia Faleiro talks about Beautiful Thing, her new book about the world of a bar dancer. Out this week
Award-winning journalist Sonia Faleiro talks about Beautiful Thing, her new book about the world of a bar dancer. Out this week
It's not a pretty story. Sonia Faleiro knew that the day she watched a television show on the life of bar dancers in 2005. This was before RR Patil imposed a ban on Mumbai's dance bars. "I took notes, like I always did, whenever I chanced upon an interesting story," says Faleiro over the phone from San Francisco. Her book, Beautiful Thing, to hit bookstores this week, is about the life of a bar dancer named Leela. Leela was one of the 10 stories that Faleiro followed up on in 2005 through her sources in Mumbai's red light district, Kamathipura. 
Meet Leela
Why Leela? "She's the stereotype of a bar dancer. She's young, good looking and has a lot of money. But what sets her apart is her profound understanding of her place in the world," says Faleiro. Bar dancers' lives, are generally insular. Girls get sold into the profession by their families who make sure they remain in it. "They don't let them interact with outsiders. But Leela knew what was going on with the world."
Which was what helped build a friendship between the two, though Faleiro says they aren't in touch anymore. She maintains that at all times she was perfectly aware of being a reporter, and Leela her subject. But a certain attachment and sympathy were inevitable, considering the disparity between their lives. The book doesn't betray much of this though; it's clear and precise though the story is tragic.
But it did take its toll on Faleiro. "One does tend to question the purpose and consequences of such work, which is probably not the best thing. It shocks the hope out of you," she admits candidly, quickly adding that it did however strengthen her resolve to continue. The purpose of Beautiful Thing is to inform people, and remind them of the ban.
Faleiro who moved to San Francisco last year, will return in November, to research her next book about the state of Gujarat. Did she ever feel like snapping out of reality and writing a fantasy? Faleiro says, "Writing non-fiction is a commitment. If you are the kind of person who has questions about how the world works, non-fiction gives you answers. You gain entry into worlds that you otherwise didn't have access to."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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Beautiful Thing published by Penguin. Out in bookstores for Rs 450. To win a copy, turn to the Contents page.u00a0
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