Review: Garbage Beat

What happens when what you see on television news channels makes you want to be like one of them? When the glamorous news reporters covering Bollywood beat makes you think that this is the dream job that you got to have? How would you convince your parents that you want to make a career in the cut throat television industry instead of becoming a doctor or an engineer as they had planned?

Meet Laila the protagonist of the book Garbage Beat who does exactly that. She is ecstatic when she lands up getting her dream job in her dream channel but not all is as glamorous and beautiful as she thinks it would be.  As she gets busier with her own role, working odd hours to cover film events and report them for her channel she ends up distancing herself from her dad- who as per her will never understand her and her boyfriend Rehan. To top it all her constant fights with her hard to please boss/ editor Bunny who doesn’t stop to remind her that there are others waiting in queue to get Laila’s job.

The television industry has its fair share of glamorous people but the industry also has its set of eccentric but fun bunch working there – having worked in the television industry I can say it with confidence! So in every channel you will find the kind of people described in the book.  While reading the book I was almost taken back to my days in the TV industry. The author has managed to capture the essence of television industry well, could be because she herself comes from there.

As Laila struggles her way trying to excel in her chosen career of TV journalism, as a reader you end up engrossed in her story, her struggles, her laughter and her tears. It is an endearing story written straight from the heart by an author who has looked and worked in the industry closely.

A fun fast paced read. For those in television industry will enjoy reading it and those who wish to make a career in it will get a glimpse of how the industry works especially the entertainment news industry.

Interesting debut by the author looking forward to many many more.