Shalini- A Force or a Filler

New Delhi (India), December 29: When you read Wastra and come across the feisty Shalini Shanmugam, you can’t help but wonder if she is the driving force as a woman journalist or just a filler character for women’s representation. A few pages in and that doubt is put to rest. While Shalini is one of the few female characters she definitely stands out in the entire narrative.

Shalini is not a mere filler but our eyes for the book. She is a journalist who investigates the murder of 5 well-built bodyguards by a weak druggie, Babu. Her investigation leads her to a maze, Wastra. On a journey to find Wastra, she unearths the deep and dark secrets of Mumbai’s infamous underworld with carefully curated stories by Shinde.

We are witnessing Mumbai’s dust, danger and dynamics only through Shalini. The story rests on her mighty shoulders.

Amidst all this, she is shown as a woman of calibre by vividly acknowledging her astounding work in the field of investigative journalism and how she stands up to corrupt people in power. She is projected as the idol for aspiring journalists but also as a human. She is not put on an unattainable pedestal, she is flawed and someone who grows out of the very ground she has fallen on. Shalini finds herself on the hauntingly amazing cover of Rohan Kailasam’s Wastra which makes the reader intrigued about the identity of this woman.

Rohan has lived through the realities of Mumbai and understands how di cult is it for women to work in fields that deal with deadly criminals and unsafe locations and what prying eyes female folks have had to witness although there are alarming and uncomforting descriptions of women you know the realities he is shedding the light upon.

Shalini Shanmugam is a burning portrayal of courage, talent and confidence and through her, the author ensures that there is no dull moment in his debut novel, Wastra published in collaboration with Nu Voice Press.

NuVoice Press is a traditional publishing imprint of HubHawks that aims to provide a platform for budding authors. They call themselves a stepping stone for their writing careers and help authors achieve their dreams of becoming published writers, which they remarkably did for Wastra.

Rohan Kailasam, born in Chennai and raised in Mumbai, has a deep-seated attachment and understanding of the city. His debut book Wastra is a crime thriller set in the glorious city of Mumbai. In addition to writing, he is a passionate fitness fanatic.