London: Determined to reveal the India behind the glitz and glamour of its economic boom, Sonia Faleiro spent five years immersed in the brothels of Mumbai - befriending bar dancers, transsexuals and policemen.
Faleiro, originally from Goa, has lived and worked in India for most of her life. In a culture where "the middle class is our new obsession," she was frustrated by the lack of reportage and representation in the public sphere for marginalized groups.
She made a name for herself writing about the high incidence of suicide in rural areas among farmers plagued by debt. After watching a TV report about dancers in Mumbai she became keen to learn more and asked a source in the industry if he would introduce her to some dancers.
And so she met Leela, the highest paid dancer at a Mumbai club called Night Lovers who would become the subject of her book, 'Beautiful Thing'. ...
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03:04 PM, Nov 04, 2011
