Tollywood celebrities attend launch of journalist Gautam Bhattacharya's book Wiki

Speaking at the launch held at the East Bengal Club, Bhattacharya said, “For the longest period in my career, I have been a sports journalist. So it is only appropriate that my first book is launched here.”

He also called it a “historic” moment as secretaries of arch rivals on the sports field, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan clubs, attended the launch together.

Bhattacharya introduced the theme of the novel saying it is about a cricketer who is an underdog all his life and how he struggles to rise to the top and fulfill his dreams.

“As a young aspiring cricketer I remember waiting for my chance to play," Bhattacharya said, "the clubs would not let all the players play, coming from a middle class family, my parents would always ask whether I got a chance to play today and my answer would always be no, I remember the day I decided to give up this profession, the pain I felt. I carried that pain with me and this book is also reflects my experiences.”

Bhattacharya also talked about the pressure that coaching centers and parents put on their children and the devastating effect it has on the kid.

Tollywood actor Prosenjit Chatterjee who is also a long time friend of the author talked about the book, “Gautam has always been an accomplished writer, his career as a journalist shows the quality of his work. For 35 years, he has written about sports and this is the first time he his writing a fiction. I have read the book and I loved it, and I am sure the public will too.”

Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly spoke about hurdles by an aspiring cricketer, which is a major theme of the book.

“I believe every profession has its ups and downs," said Ganguly, "the higher you rise in your career, the greater problems you have to deal with. But if you are hard working, willing to put in the effort, you will come out successful. The book also celebrates this spirit and I congratulate Gautam for writing about it.”

(Reporting by Tirna Chatterjee)