Book Review Title: The Last Courtesan: Writing my mother’s memoir Author: Manish Gaekwad Publisher: HarperCollins India, 2023 Pages: 185 Writing the biography of one’s mother who was a courtesan is not quite a pleasant task. Manish Gaekwad undertakes that arduous task in this book and does a fairly eminent job with it. ‘Courtesan’ may not be quite the exact translation of ‘tawaif,’ which is what Rekha, Gaekwad’s mother, was. A courtesan is essentially a sex worker whose clients are wealthy men. But a tawaif is primarily an artiste, a singer of ghazals as well as a dancer. Sex is part of that job, no doubt. When a woman sings lines like Apna bana le meri jaan / Haye re main tere qurbaan [Make me yours, my love / I am your sacrifice] to a man, sex becomes a natural climax of the show. Rekha is a tawaif. She tells her own story in this book. The author writes the narrative as if his mother is telling him her life’s story. Towards the end of the narrative, Rekha asse...
If you are not a flatterer, you cannot be a party worker. Simple.
ReplyDeleteRE
Thank me for not confusing you with real poetry.
Delete:) That's a great wish.
ReplyDeleteIndeed and I'm determined to master the art. :)
Deletesimple but well said :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ankur.
DeleteI don't want to be a party worker. In fact, even if I try for it, I am sure I would fail spectacularly in that endeavor.
ReplyDeleteI know. And you also know :)
DeleteNext, are you going to apply for the post of Principal to form a party?
ReplyDeleteWings, my name in the Church (baptism register) is Thomas. Got it?
DeleteYou either have it or you don't. I don't think it can be cultivated in adult life!
ReplyDeleteYes, Mridula, you can't teach old dogs new tricks, as the wise men said long ago :) And I'm realising it in practice!
Delete