Anand Neelakantan

A fascinating read.
I am an infracaninophile; this book has appealed to my sensibilities.
This is the retelling of Mahabaratha from the Kuru clan perspective.
In Neelakantan's retelling, Pandavas, for that matter even Krishna is not a god. They are mere humans. Suyodhana is the protagonist of the novel. He is portrayed as a lion-hearted,peace loving, noble soul. He (Suyodhana)attacks the caste system with passion, and advocates meritocracy. Must read.

It takes guts to author a book of this kind. Commendable effort. The author has railed against the so-called gods ;)




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"Asura" was my very first introduction to quality Indian fiction of the historical variety, and I was impressed by its quasi-mythological scope. Neelakantan weaves mythology and reality in a colorful tapestry in which Gods and men battle among each other and with themselves.

The author's treatment of Ravana is commendable. Painted in various hues of literary paint, the "Ramayana's" antagonist is cast as a sagacious ruler but wanting father. His status as a prominent anti-hero is undeniable, and even Neelakantan does not attempt to alter the Status quo. But in "Asura," the demon-king is treated with microscopic scrutiny and emerges as an affable and warm personality. And these latter elements make the ending heart-wrenching. Ravana emerges as that leader whose unpopularity hinges on their unpopular decisions but only after they have departed are the positive affects of their rulings seen. For Ravana there is no natural ending, but an untimely death.

Drawing upon a hitherto less known tradition, Neelakantan provides an alternative version of Ravana, one far removed from the archetypal demon-king. While the book's illustrations border on the laughable, its narrative is laudable. Easy to read and comprehend, its only failing is its lackluster treatment of the story's secondary protagonist: the fisherman Bhadra.

Overall, this is a tale to be repeatedly savored over and over again and one which transcends multiple barriers to re-analyze what we thought we knew about Indic mythology.… (more)

Mahabharata is, arguably, the epic that has spawned the most number of adaptations, interpretations and whatnot... But, I have no complaints, as long as the storytelling is good. Ajaya is told from the Losers' point of view, which the author has made his signature style, so far.
As with Asura, he had turned the tables entirely by making the good characters evil and vice versa. The reasons and philosophy behind the actions of the characters have been given a 180 degree shift, which, though against what we have believed so far, is amusing...
But, in his effort to turn it entirely against the original, the author has made the story implausible in many places, which was the issue with his previous work as well.
Anyway, this book made for a good reading and I'm eager to read the sequel, which is sitting in my bookshelf, though after a break...… (more)