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.

                                                                                                                                        

Book Synopsis Garbage Beat

Laila is on the entertainment beat—a world where bitchy is sexy, and sexy is everything. Vain heroines, superstars with fragile egoes who get their ‘bad’ stories dropped by blackmailing editors, spirited item girls, prissy stars … To top it all, life in the newsroom is a series of deadline-driven bloopers till her tv life hits black. 

Adding to the mayhem is a madcap cast: sexy Bollywood journo-turned-hit item girl Latika; star-struck reporter Chiki, who is obsessed with a superstar; Nandu, the byline-swindler; award-winning super hack Indumati; and their razor sharp and hard to please editor Bunny.
Caught between her ambition to excel, a live-in boyfriend who feels ignored, and a super-intelligent and brilliant father who is ashamed of her career choice, Laila realizes that the life of an entertainment reporter is not the glamour ride she had expected … because, on the Garbage Beat, reporting is a harrowing, ball-crushing and back-breaking affair.

Some real love stories, some real heartbreaks, and some real tragedies.

But life as a reporter gets worse when she crosses powerful producers, has big fights with jealous reporters and adamant cameramen and makes bloopers galore.Its about how tv this very greedy god of the airwaves demands a new pound of flesh from her everyday.

Profile-
Ten years of entertainment journalism. A lifetime of  being a manoranjan junkie. Richa believes that you should accept your most demented thoughts fears and fantasies. Born in Dehradun. Richa did her Masters in Chemistry from Miranda House, before she studied Journalism. Special Correspondent and TV Anchor Richa is currently Associate Editor, entertainment in a prominent news channel. She has extensively covered Hindi Cinema, Bollywood, Fashion and Art in several prominent national news channels and reported from Mumbai to Malaysia, Seoul to Simla, Johannesberg to Jodhpur, Pretoria to Punjab, Dubai to Delhi to Benaras,Goa, Agra, Ajmer,Kolkata,Nainital and counting. She has produced, anchored and reported for shows like Night Out, Bollywood Quiz show IDBI Sawaal India Ka, Glamour Show, Filmy Friday, Cinema India, Cinema Ke Sikander, Raat Baaki.

Mumbai Book Launch of Garbage Beat

Dear Mumbai Book Lovers

Here's an invite to a book launch you just wouldn't wanna miss!!

Kareena Kapoor will be launching Richa Lakhera's book Garbage Beat  today Sunday 23rd December at 4pm Venue details on the card!

Richa's book is a scandalous novel set in the big bad world of entertainment television.The highs and lows of entertainment reporting.

Do join in for the book launch and buy the book for a fun super pacy read!

http://www.flipkart.com/garbage-beat-9350293978/p/itmdezennajmputh?pid=9789350293973