Leila

Leila is a 2017 Indian dystopian novel written by Prayaag Akbar. Set in the 2040s, the story follows Shalini, who tries to find her missing daughter Leila in a totalitarian regime. It was published by Simon & Schuster in several formats worldwide on 20 April 2017 and received a positive critical reception. It is also available as an audiobook narrated by Tania Rodriguez. The novel was awarded the 2018 juried Crossword Book Award for fiction and the Tata Literature Live First Book Award the same year. It was also shortlisted for The Hindu Literary Prize. Leila was adapted as a Netflix series by Deepa Mehta, Shanker Raman and Pawan Kumar with Huma Qureshi, Siddharth, Rahul Khanna, Sanjay Suri and Arif Zakaria. The series premiered on 14 June 2019 to mostly positive reviews from critics. Plot In the late 2040s, with drinking water and fresh air being extravagances, India is ruled by The Council. Shalini is married to Rizwan Chaudhury, a Muslim man with whom she has a daughter, Leila. One day Rizwan is abducted and killed by goons known as "Repeaters" in an attempt to cleanse the bloodlines and stop inter-faith marriages. Her daughter Leila is also abducted. Shalini is sent to a Purity Camp where she serves as a slave for sixteen years. During her long stay, her mental health starts deteriorating. One day she escapes. She is later caught and sent back to the camp where she is appointed as a housekeeper to the Dixits, an advantaged family at the Record Towers. Mr. Dixit is one of the designers for the up-and-coming Skydome, which will be utilized to make fresh air. Shalini gains access to the tower through the bureaucracy, in order to get more information. Mr. Dixit is sent to the camp after he neglects to make the arch by the due date. Feeling for Mrs. Dixit, Shalini helps her escape. One day, Shalini gets into the wealthy facility to find answers concerning the whereabouts of her missing girl. She sees a blurb demonstrating one of the specialists she thinks is one of the men who came to kill her husband and kidnap Leila. Shalini sees a video of Dixit clarifying that the Skydome will resemble a climate control system with vents blowing tourist outside of it that can murder individuals outside of it.