During the Covid-19 pandemic when we were locked inside our homes, social media came to the rescue, and was even a financial opportunity for many. However, we are now beginning to realise the perils of the online world.
It has really impacted the youth, especially youngsters in their early 20s as now they are learning all the aspects of living through social media and the internet.
Delving further on this topic is the new book, Mother India (Harper Collins) written by Prayaag Akbar, and which was recently discussed at Champaca bookstore in Anjuna.
Akbar, who rose to fame with his debut book, Leila (2017), which was used as the basis for the Netflix show of the same name, has used similar themes of politics, technology, and how they impacts us.
Akbar, who rose to fame with his debut book, Leila (2017), which was used as the basis for the Netflix show of the same name, has used similar themes of politics, technology, and how they impacts us.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Mother India is the story of two young people — Mayank and Nisha — living in contemporary Delhi. Mayank is employed in a right-wing content creator’s dingy basement studio, while Nisha, who hails from the hills, works as a salesgirl at an expensive Japanese chocolate shop in an upscale mall.
However, a small video clip made by Mayank impacts their lives, and that is the crux of the story.
The book largely comments on what it means to be young and alive in today’s India.
Akbar, during his interaction with author, Tashan Mehta, stated that even though his books are political in nature, the characters are of utmost importance to him.
He believes that it is the characters that draw the reader to the book. “I do feel the heart of fiction is its characters,” he said.
Akbar, during his interaction with author, Tashan Mehta, stated that even though his books are political in nature, the characters are of utmost importance to him.
Speaking of social media and the youth, he mentioned, “They are now learning everything from social media — how to dress, how to think, how to act.”
He also noted the growing awareness, nowadays, of being constantly watched. Thus there is lot of focus on appearance, etc. “I sense that the younger generation understands social media much better than us. But, there is a lot of anxiety.”
He said that anxiety is created by being under surveillance or vice versa. Elaborating on his characters, he stated that he empathised with Mayank and Nisha, and youngsters in a similar age group of 20-21 years, as they have borne the brunt of social media’s impact.
“It was like when children used to smoke as there was no regulation in place. Also, the money attached (through social media), that’s the draw.”
While answering questions about the book, Mayank mentioned that he started writing it in 2019 and finished writing in 2023. The story evolved over time, and he also shortened the book’s length during the editing process. With just 168 pages, he mentioned that it is technically a novella.
While speaking about the book, Leila, and a show based on it, he said that it was a great moment for him.
“After Leila, I shifted from Mumbai to Goa. It was a transformative experience for me, as it marked both my debut book and the subsequent Netflix series. I didn’t realize how big it was,” he shared.
"The story of the series is quite different from the book, but it is interesting to see a new story based on my characters,” he concluded.
Mother India by Prayaag Akbar is available at Champaca bookstore, Anjuna, and also online.