'Manish Gaekwad has produced a compelling sequel, Nautch Boy, to his daring effort to write the life and times of his mother as a tawaif, titled The Last Courtesan: Writing My Mother's Memoir. The genre of actual writings by courtesans is rare, maybe because publishers did not dare publish such works because of the prudery and hypocrisy of our middle class, which would have been their potential audience. Gaekwad's recollections paint an honest picture of the trials and tribulations of life in the kotha that strips off the glamour and romance in which courtesans' existence is couched in representations in most films. Here is a raw and direct depiction of an aspiring young writer and unwelcome son's life in the shadow of his mother's beleaguered life. Gaekwad's voice is candid and the portraits he creates of the mysteries of the kotha will disabuse many of their stereotypical understanding of a profession that enables the development of creative talent in its gifted denizens.'

-Veena Talwar Oldenburg

Manish Gaekwad is a journalist and author. He has reported for Scroll and Mid-Day, and has contributed to The Hindu and other publications as a freelancer. His literary works include the novel Lean Days and The Last Courtesan, a memoir of his mother. He co-wrote the Netflix series She with Imtiaz Ali, script-consulted on Badhaai Do and served as a senior script creative at Red Chillies Entertainment. He currently lives online but is scouting for a home address.