Journalist-turned-author Prayaag Akbar’s debut novel, Leila (Simon & Schuster India, ₹400) is essentially a novel about a mother’s search for her daughter, set in a city undergoing political and social turmoil, with mobs controlling all aspects of human life and interaction. There are repeaters, vigilantes enforcing the rules of an all powerful council, in a city increasingly segmentised on the basis of community and religion, with huge walls that do not permit interaction among the communities and a regime that governs all aspects of life and punishes those who not follow these rules.
In Bengaluru for the launch of the book, Prayaag says: “Many people have asked me whether the book is set in the future. I have not given a time frame. I have been very clear that this was not an attempt at predicting the future. The book is a critical examination of how we live and function as a society. I have included elements that have bothered me, such as the increasing level of segmentisation of our cities, the divisions of city blocks based on caste and creed and so on. I have exaggerated a few elements. However, a lot of these things do happen in our cities at this moment.”
The 34-year-old author adds: “In our cities, privilege plays a very important role. The rich and the poor experience life in cities very differently. I wanted to showcase the manner in which life in many of our cities is already dystopic for many individuals from underprivileged backgrounds.”
Talking about the current political climate, Prayaag says: “People seem to derive safety from being with others belonging to the same region, caste and creed. A lot of elements in the book are figurative. In India, we are attached to identity. The place you come from and your name provide an instant marker. I have also tried to explore the idea of vigilante justice delivered by a mob, which is not held accountable and is spurred into action, by some sections of society. This happens across the country and often results in self censorship. Social media mobs and trolls are an extension of this trend in society and slogans such as America First and Brexit are a manifestation of this.”
On the writing process, Prayaag points out: “It took me many years to bring out the novel. It has been a great learning experience. I had the basic idea of the story revolving around a mother and daughter, but the world around them was created much later. As a journalist, I discovered that writing fiction is a completely different ball game.”
However, he adds: “I feel that the career in journalism has helped me a lot in this book. You get a lot of information and glimpse a slice of India in the course of your work as a reporter and editor. You are constantly bombarded with information and points of views on multiple issues. That has helped me in writing Leila .”
