Leila (novel)
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | India |
| Products | Books |
| Website | www |
Leila is a dystopian novel from India, authored by Prayaag Akbar and released in 2017. Set during the 2040s under an authoritarian government, the story centers on Shalini's quest to find her missing daughter, Leila. The book was published by Simon & Schuster on 20 April 2017 and garnered favorable reviews. An audiobook version narrated by Tania Rodriguez was also made available.
The novel earned the 2018 Crossword Book Award for fiction as well as the Tata Literature Live First Book Award, and it was shortlisted for The Hindu Literary Prize. It was later adapted into a Netflix series by Deepa Mehta, Shanker Raman, and Pawan Kumar, featuring performances by Huma Qureshi, Siddharth, among others. The series debuted on 14 June 2019 and received predominantly positive feedback.
Plot
Set in the late 2040s, India is governed by The Council, where access to clean air and water is severely limited. Shalini’s husband, Rizwan Chaudhury, who is Muslim, falls victim to "Repeaters"—groups targeting families of mixed faith—and is killed. Their daughter Leila is also taken away. Shalini spends sixteen years imprisoned in a Purity Camp, enduring forced servitude before managing to escape. However, she is soon captured again and assigned as a housekeeper to the influential Dixit family, who are involved in creating the Skydome, a technology designed to generate purified air.
While working for the Dixits, Shalini attempts to gather information about her daughter’s whereabouts. Following Mr. Dixit’s punishment for failing project deadlines, she assists Mrs. Dixit in fleeing. Shalini uncovers a registry listing all children nationwide and identifies Leila’s school. She encounters a girl resembling Leila but fails to confirm her identity. Politician Mr. Rao recruits Shalini to infiltrate the Skydome facility, disable its power supply, and map its interior.
After completing this task, Shalini meets with Rao and hands over evidence intended to weaken political rival Joshi’s control over the Skydome project. During an event held at the Skydome attended by Joshi, a girl—whom Shalini believes to be Leila—is singled out. Observing from outside, Shalini remains uncertain whether her connection to the girl is genuine or imagined.
Development
Akbar sought to shift from journalism to fiction writing with the goal of illustrating how political upheavals deeply affect individuals by focusing on their personal experiences. He concentrated on capturing the "isolated, insular experience" characteristic of metropolitan areas like Delhi and Mumbai, demonstrating how sweeping political forces can devastate private lives. The initial concept revolved around a mother-daughter separation.
Drawing inspiration from Kazuo Ishiguro's 1982 work A Pale View of Hills, Akbar opted to narrate from a female viewpoint, believing that a male writer could authentically portray a woman’s voice. The story originally featured Shalini and her daughter before dystopian aspects were incorporated later. Akbar highlighted India’s intricate caste and subcaste structures as significant influences shaping the novel’s environment.
The writing process spanned five years. The protagonist’s name "Leila" was purposefully selected due to its prevalence among both Muslim and Christian populations, symbolizing identities that exist between religious boundaries. Leila was published by Simon & Schuster on 20 April 2017 in various editions. An audiobook narrated by Tania Rodriguez was released on 4 April 2019.
Reception
Lopamudra Ghatak of The Economic Times characterized the novel as "stark," with Shalini’s anguish portrayed in a deeply "evocative" manner. Minakshi Raja from The Free Press Journal deemed it "well worth reading," despite its somewhat conventional conclusion. Karishma Kuenzang of India Today described the work as "intriguing" and drew parallels with Amitav Ghosh's The Shadow Lines. Ananya Borgohain writing for The Pioneer lauded the book’s fusion of surreal elements and social critique.
The Telegraph remarked on the uncanny similarity between Akbar’s imagined setting and real-world conditions. Aditya Mani Jha of The Hindu Business Line likened the mother-daughter relationship to that depicted in Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Rini Burman from The Indian Express underscored the novel’s portrayal of entrenched class and caste hierarchies reflecting modern society. Keshava Guha of The Hindu referred to it as a "gripping debut" that explores India’s evolving political and social landscape. Nandini Krishnan at The Wire commended the authenticity of its dystopian environment.
Avantika Mehta of Hindustan Times called it a "powerful debut" that raises intricate questions. Bhanuj Kappal from The National highlighted the prose as "tight and unrelenting." Trisha Gupta at Scroll.in noted that the future depicted in the novel feels alarmingly present. Somak Ghoshal of HuffPost emphasized the mother-daughter dynamic as a central strength.
Nudrat Kamal from Dawn found the writing "engaging," marked by intense narrative tension. Aditya Singh at The Millions interpreted it as a "political and social allegory" critiquing India’s fragile societal structures. Roger Cox of The Scotsman described the work as timely and memorable, exposing narrow-minded xenophobia. Kerryn Goldsworthy from The Sydney Morning Herald praised Akbar’s depiction of a society rigidly divided by race, religion, and lineage.
Akbar was honored with the juried Crossword Book Award for fiction as well as the Tata Literature Live First Book Award. Additionally, the novel was shortlisted for the prestigious The Hindu Literary Prize.
Adaptation
In February 2018, Netflix commissioned an original series adaptation of the novel, produced by Deepa Mehta. The ensemble cast featured Huma Qureshi, Siddharth, Rahul Khanna, Sanjay Suri, and Arif Zakaria. The series was directed by Mehta alongside Shanker Raman and Pawan Kumar. Production commenced in November 2018 and wrapped up in April 2019. It premiered on 14 June 2019, receiving predominantly favorable reviews from critics.