BEAUTIFUL THING

Sonia Faleiro was a reporter in search of a story when she met Leela; a beautiful and charismatic bar dancer with a story to tell. Leela introduced Sonia to the underworld of Bombay s dance bars: a world of glamorous women; of fierce love; sex and violence; of customers and gangsters; of police; prostitutes and pimps. When an ambitious politician cashed in on a tide of false morality and had Bombay s dance bars wiped out; Leela s proud independence faced its greatest test. In a city where almost everyone is certain that someone; somewhere; is worse off than them; she fights to survive; and to win. Beautiful Thing; one of the most original works of non-fiction from India in years; is a vivid and intimate portrait of one reporter s journey into the dark; pulsating and ultimately damaged soul of Bombay. www.soniafaleiro.com