Butterfly Generation: A Personal Journey Into The Passions And Follies Of India’s Technicolour Youth

The Butterfly Generation swings between the narrow gap of fiction and non-fiction. The focus of the main story is on Aditi, the protagonist, a girl who loves to dance, and the freedom enjoyed by her in the city. Her life in New Delhi is tracked in this book, and the behaviour of a generation refusing to submit to the old principles of living is observed.

Aditi belongs to the generation that does not approve of many things about family, community and religion and finds them suffocating and trivial. This new generation wants to start a fresh beginning.

Art is used as a weapon to fight the restrictions of the past and carve out a new life. The art forms are the rock songs, stand-up comedy shows, music videos, etc. Though of Western origin, in the present world scenario when youth is exposed to these by the Internet, the cultural differences and distance are wiped out in an instant.

History is forgotten as well. Ideas travel very fast and are adapted to local conditions and taken advantage of.  Liberal, unrestrained Indian youth is fast embracing whatever influences that are on offer.

According to the author, India’s young Butterfly Generation is absorbing everything. Mehrotra effectively describes the rigorous cultural change in liberal India among the urban youth. There are three sections in the book – Wide Angle, One-On-One, and Entertain Us. Sensitive topics like drug abuse and commitment are briefly covered.

Palash Krishna Mehrotra was born in 1975 in Mumbai and completed his education at St Stephen’s College, New Delhi, Balliol College, Oxford, and the Delhi School of Economics. He is well-known for his bold style of writing. He is the Editor of Recess: The Penguin Book Of Schooldays and also a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. He regularly writes a column for Mail Today. He lives in Dehradun.