Where I overcame my fear of getting crapped on for a shoot...

Some viewers have remarked that they loved the locations for the outdoor shoots and wanted to know why all the episodes were not shot like that. What can I say? Take episode 12 of #MahabharataWithAnuja for instance... I was seated under this big, leafy tree and the cameras were rolling when two birds alighted on one of the branches right above my head. No amount of shooing or loud pleading (shouting actually!) could get them to budge!

So we went ahead with the shoot, and a part of my brain couldn't help but attempt to send subliminal messages to the feathered trespassers (okay, perhaps I was the one trespassing) beseeching them not to poop on my head, even as I was narrating the story. I mean can you imagine the horror? There was this time, I fell out of the boat during a white water rafting expedition. My loving family and friends are still laughing themselves silly over my graceless tumble (which was captured on video) and if an even more embarrassing video of me with bird crap on my hair were to surface? Shudder!

Anyways, it is the reason, I actually prefer shooting indoors in a controlled environment with the air-conditioning humming softly in the background. Do check out #Episode12 of #MahabharataWithAnuja There is plenty to like for those on team Arjuna as the great man outdoes himself even by his own impossible standards of excellence. Bhima and Hanuman have themselves a pissing contest and the whole thing is just too cool. Kindly watch and share people. This is the link.

P.S: For those who are wondering, my buddies of the avian variety were kind enough not to make a nasty mess on my head. Bless them and may their tribe increase!

Arjuna sets off on a quest to win the favour of Lord Shiva and put together a formidable arsenal. His mission is a great success. The celestials welcome him ...

This is not a rant...

Arjuna and Krishna rock! Absolutely nuts about this duo!

This is not a rant... But maybe it is. I love hearing back from viewers and readers. It is always lovely when people engage with you through their response to your art and it helps sustains the lonely artiste given to grappling with the solitude that is the result of spending too much time wandering around your own head. Unanimous love or hate for anything put up on the public sphere is rare and it is weird how the exact same things can provoke vehement, polar opposite reactions in individuals. For my series on Youtube, #MahabharataWithAnuja the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and I am more thankful than can be adequately expressed. But of course there is bound to be criticism - constructive as well as the other icky kind.

Over the years it hasn't become any easier to deal with the bouquets or brickbats, vulgar dms and other mixed responses. Which is why sometimes, I put up a blog post and get it out of my system. A recent trend has been the resurgence in the popularity of Indian mythology. I am not complaining since I have written a few books in the genre and I am happy that so many love the ancient texts as much as I do. As a counter response, there has been a wave of bitter criticism against the misogyny, casteism, etc. which are admittedly present in mythology when viewed from a certain angle. The liberal left can be particularly vicious and unforgiving when it comes to anything that 'glorifies' Indian culture and tradition with the view to strengthen the so - called 'Hindutva' narrative that is supposedly being foisted on us. In other words, folks like me tend to get accused of being little more than foot soldiers in the Bhakt/Sanghi army (as someone, whose Hindi vocab is limited to a few words, I am not even sure what Sanghi means. I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with Ashwin Sanghi or does it?) and pandering to the whims of those who would try and rob India of its secular character.

To these people, all I can say is that India is a proudly secular nation and there is nothing wrong with her Hindu citizens being proud of and embracing their religious roots in the same manner as their brothers and sisters who worship other Gods. It is not done to attack the religious beliefs of those belonging to other faiths or calling out their God without proper context. In the same way, it is not okay to keep attacking Hindu Gods and accusing them and their worshipers of all manner of morally dubious conduct. It is definitely not done to call Rama a chauvinist and a cheater or accuse Krishna of womanizing and villainy. Seriously, please quit it. Every once in a while do make the attempt to recognize that other people's beliefs and feelings are every bit as important as your own. Pretty please!

As for the hot - headed right wingers, a blind belief in our glorious culcher and tradision without any nuance or proper understanding of the essence that may or may not be contained in our scriptures is foolish and dangerous when taken too far. There are certain evils like the caste system which have been deeply ingrained in the lore that has been passed down to us thanks to the vested interests of an elite few and it sucks that so many were and continue to be denied quality education and opportunities for advancement on the basis of their birth or gender. Please don't bother sending me lengthy comments or emails justifying such awful practices based on your personal take of the ancient texts. You are not going to convince me that only 'the deserving' ought to get an education or that the caste system has any merit. We ought to hang our heads down in shame for having failed to surgically extract it from our identity as Indians. But I will not stop dreaming of a future when no one in this country is required to own a community certificate. For it is a beautiful dream and one worth striving tirelessly towards to make it our collective reality.

Then there are those who call me out for my Arjuna bias. That is cool. But the thing is, I have never hidden the fact that I love Arjuna. Krishna is another favorite as well. I certainly am not blind to some of the unethical stunts they have both pulled but that does not mean I am ever going to like them less. It is fine to agree or disagree with someone about various aspects of a beloved epic like the Mahabharata and I have nothing against people who love Karna and Duryodhana. To each their own. However, it sucks when people point out a certain flaw in a beloved character, cherry pick ugly episodes and then use it as an opportunity to diss the great epics and all of Indian mythology while insisting that those who peddle these myths and sharing these dearly beloved stories are corrupting the youth, supporting sexism, perpetuating hatred, throwing in their lot with the jingoistic, fanatical brigade and the rest of that rigmarole. Please people! Be reasonable! Why insist on throwing out the baby with the bath water? And why hate those who do not subscribe to the same viewpoint as you do?

There, I am done with my rant which is not actually a rant right? I am merely pointing out the obvious. For those who feel I am being unnecessarily defensive, you may be right but I am extremely proud and protective of Indian mythology and no, I refuse to feel bad about it. Thank you for understanding. And if you don't, that is fine too... as long as you don't flood me with hate mail, or cuss me out in a dm.

P.S: Are you watching #MahabharataWithAnuja ? If you haven't watched it yet, please do check it out right here.  And be sure to tell me what you think! Even if it is to make your case for why you think I haven't a clue :) 

WHY WE OUGHT NEVER TO TIRE OF RETELLING TALES FROM INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

The resurgence of all things mythological in the literary space is a welcome phenomenon and not only because many authors including yours truly have made a career out of this seemingly insatiable interest. Any book that can distract youngsters from their addiction to fancy gizmos designed to make douche bag zombies out of them by harkening back to the glories of an ancient time must be considered a truly marvellous accomplishment. In fact, offerings in this sphere have helped people from all age groups suffering from smartphone syndrome. Which is why it is encouraging when books in this genre especially when penned by the likes of Amish Tripathi, Anand Neelakantan and Kavita Kane sell like hotcakes with a little something illegal stirred into it. 

Yet, in keeping with the adage that where there is a demand there must be an excessive supply this trend has led to aficionados overdosing on the stuff and reaching saturation point. Publishing houses are spewing out endless mythology related titles featuring every single character from the Ramayana and Mahabharata into the sea of books that have already been written on the same, Many aspiring writers who dream of getting published feel that mythology is the way to go and contribute steadily to the massive influx.

In fact, there is even talk that one enterprising author has successfully pitched a book – proposal to a leading publishing house about a fly on the wall who happened to be present when Ravana and Mandodari were engaged in a heated debate over the unmitigated gall the former had displayed in kidnapping another man’s wife which the latter felt was a scathing indictment of the fact that her looks where no longer what they had been before she had borne him the warlike sons, he had insisted upon. The eponymous character is saving the details about the make-up sex that followed as well as his familiarity with Ravana’s bowel movements for a sequel. 

If this sort of desperation does not put off the faithful adherents to the genre then the infamous ‘Gau Rakshaks’ and religious doggerel spouting extremists will definitely do the trick. They have managed to take a lovely tradition and found a way to make it something unspeakably ugly by using it as a weapon to spread hate. 

If they had their way India would be a nation of clones brainwashed into toeing the line for jingoistic goons who would have us believe that ideally we should all turn vegetarian, embrace Hinduism, speak nothing but chaste Hindi, enforce modesty upon women by forcing them into clothes that cover up every inch of their bodies as well as chastity belts and figure out a way to reproduce by swallowing tears. Partying, kissing, hugging, sexual intercourse (Gasp!) and questions of sexual orientation (Double Gasp!) ought to be made taboo in the interest of preserving our culture of course.

Such regressive thinking has to be contained in order to prevent folks becoming allergic to all things related to Indian mythology, especially those who have been victimized and marginalized in its name. Which is why it is more important than ever to read retold versions of beloved tales in order to stop those who would purvey distortions and half – truths to further their twisted agenda. It is imperative to understand and familiarize oneself with the compelling philosophy, complex truths and pearls of wisdom bequeathed to us by the best minds of the past through this medium. And no, they were not intolerant jerks who sought to belittle and prosecute others over petty nonsense.

The noblest and greatest of our ancestors sought to teach us how to be better people and live rich fulfilling lives by learning to do the right thing by ourselves and others. There is nothing in the knowledge imparted to us over the eons that encourages us to be judgemental, badly behaved buffoons who would bully others into behaving in keeping with misguided beliefs.

By preserving the proper spirit of the past contained not just in Indian mythology but in those belonging to different parts of the world, passed on by storytellers, wandering minstrels, bards and yes, present day writers on the subject, we can find a way to deal with the horrors of the present in order to usher in a better future where sense prevails.

            

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

So here it is! My brand new fortnightly column for The New Indian Express. :)

CONGRATULATIONS PINTO FOR EM AND A BIG BOO TO US!

Renowned author, Jerry Pinto has bagged himself a biggie – Yale University’s $150,000 Windham – Campbell Prize for his ground-breaking debut novel, Em and the Big Hoom. An impressive feat which has the desi literary community applauding him on every social networking platform there is and rightfully so. It is always heartening to see home-grown talent celebrated on a global scale.

            Having nobly fought off waves of bitter envy that saw me angrily remonstrating with the powers that govern the universe, “Why God, why? This is so unfair… How come bloody Yale noticed Jerry Pinto and not me?” and so on, I moved on gracefully to read what the Windham – Campbell Prize winner had to say for himself.

            Pinto was magnanimous and humble in victory making it a point to stress that the prize was not the result of individual genius but “…many forces and factors that conspired in the most wonderful way to bring me here.” It has to be admitted that the man is really sweet in addition to being prodigiously talented and deserved the win.

            He goes on to say that the prize left him gobsmacked because, “When one writes literary fiction one knows it is not going to sell a tremendous amount…” Now that is a munch - worthy point and entirely heart-breaking, simply because it is the hard truth that paints a dismal picture of our country and its readers. Why is it that we have trouble celebrating or even identifying the best and brightest minds here?

            It is not as if this is the first time Pinto has received recognition for his work. Previously, he won the Hindu Literary Prize as well as the Crossword Book Award, but even so, it is highly unlikely that these translated into massive book sales and got him anything more than hearty backslapping in a limited circle whereas Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Aravind Adiga, Kiran Desai and the rest of the Booker Prize winning brigade command so much more respect here. Now my grouse is not with the aforementioned literary heavy weights who deserve all the plaudits they have won but the fact that we refuse to take anyone in any field barring cricket seriously unless they have been endorsed and feted by the West. It is scary that we are so accustomed to mediocrity that we no longer have what it takes to nurture brilliance.

            On the one hand we have critics dipping their quills in acid every time a certain universally reviled and envied bestselling author comes out with a novel because a sesquipedalian he is not and on the other, most authors with a penchant for polysyllabic propensity are told to dumb it down because the average ADHD afflicted Indian reader can’t be bothered with grandiloquent prose. Naturally this explains why Indian writing has been unable to find the sweet spot between readable swill and unreadable brilliance.

            It is to be hoped that Jerry Pinto’s big win will inspire reader and author alike to take it up a notch and be pursuers of literary excellence. On that note, here’s hoping the Pulitzer Prize Committee is smitten with my brilliant column otherwise the only people who are going to be enriched by its scintillating points are my editor and Dad! 

An edited version of this piece was published in TNIE and you can read it here.

                                 

The Sheer Joy of Hearing Back from Readers!

There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when somebody you have never met in your entire life reaches out to you from the murky darkness of the internet! For those with a more twisted frame of mind allow me to clarify - I am not talking about pervs who think your profile pic is good and 'want 2 make frandship with you' but about readers who pick up a copy of your book (or order it online) and actually take the time out from their lives to share their thoughts on it.

It is soooo sweet, the gesture always reduces me to a quivering pile of mush. This applies even if all the said individual wants to say is that 'YOU SUCK' and in his/her considered opinion ought to take up another career. In such cases, I console myself with the words little girls are told when an uncouth classmate tugs on carefully tied up pigtails "He likes you!" or rather "SCORE! You got through to them enough to make them reach out even if it is with a machete!" But thankfully acid - soaked emails are rare and most are very encouraging.

Sample this email from Lavanya, which has been shared with her permission. She is currently preparing for her NET Exams in December and grabbed a copy of Shakti: The Divine Feminine while buying exam guides.  Do check it out! And to all my readers out there, thanks so much for the love!

Dear Anuja,

I enjoyed reading the book because I love to read stories of the Divine. 70 percent of the stories were known to me (by reading Devi Mahatmyam) but the spin you gave them were phenomenal. I have always wondered why somethings happened the way it  did (as written in the holy books) and your characterisation was very convincing and answered many of my doubts but I feel you could have downplayed some regions which may not go well with the average Hindu psyche and minus those gnawing issues dealt in here, it is a great read.

Greatly enjoyed reading abt the platonic love of Vishnu and the equations Shakti had with Shiva and Vishnu. 

I found some words in the book didn't gel well with the rest as they were very contemporary (acc to me) for a primeval story. (Can't give examples as I was too engrossed in the book and didn't note down- yet I could feel it at some places) Yet I can't blame you for it as you have stated that the story never ends, it goes on in cycles, and is still going on and hence such timeless beings can't be held in a boundary of our making. 

About Indra's curse, I read in Devi Mahatmyam - malayalam version , that the Brahmahatya paapam he incurred was because of the death of Dadichi Maharshi (though he willingly committed Self sacrifice - Indra's selfishness was the reason why he had to commit self sacrifice). Thus cursed Indra seeks the support of Trimurthis to take him to Kali's abode for purification. After serious repentance by Indra, Devi forgives him and grants him his lost prosperity and vitality. No disagreement here as it's in line with what you have mentioned but the witchhunt was really depressing though it is very much a possibility.

I read a review of Shakti in The New Indian Express and I am pleased after reading it. Sometimes the reviews can be very deceptive. But I am very glad that I got my lazy self to buy your book as reading it was a real new experience. Believe me, I am no great reader - I have got books And left them untouched after the first few pages. Especially the widely publicised retakes on Indian mythology have always disappointed me and coz I don't get the intent of what they are trying to imply- I sometimes wonder - why the hype?

Shakti is very marvellously written and it was very easy to understand and identify with the primordial mother.

The part I loved the most - was the interaction between Durga and Mahisasura . His ultimate deliverance was very touching - which melted my heart.

I hope you continue to write more such stories adding your special ingredients to it that appeals to people like us who love to read such divine-stories yet get perplexed by the sheer volume and complexity of the sacred texts. 

All the best!

With love,

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Hey people!

My third book Shakti: The Divine Feminine will be out later this month. You can preorder it on Flipkart and Amazon . You can also enter a giveaway on Goodreads to win free copies. Place your orders, share and make your Navaratri and Durga Puja celebrations extra special with Shakti! 

In honour of the big release there are giveaways for Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince which was named by Amazon as one of the top 5 sellers in Indian Writing for the year 2013 and Kamadeva: The God of Desire which is ranked 47th on Amazon' s Historical fiction bestsellers list. 

You can enter here and here.

My Interview with WriterStory!

My interview with Nikhil Narkhede of WriterStory, where I talk about a few of my favourite things namely, books, writing, Arjuna and Kamadeva! How fun is that?
Excerpts:

What inspired you to start writing?

I have absolutely adored books and stories from the time I learned to read. There are few things in life more satisfying than a really good yarn and my favourite pastime is curling up with a nice novel. Writing was the natural progression of my lifelong passion for reading as I simply wanted to make my own contribution to the literary world and take my place among the storytellers.

What did you like to read when you were a girl?

Enid Blyton was an especial favourite and so was Amar Chitra Katha. I also read Frances Hodgson Burnett, Louisa May Alcott, Susan Coolidge, Elinor Brent Dyer, and Charles Dickens. At one time, I was really into the Nancy Drew (Carolyn Keene), Three Investigators (Alfred Hitchcock) and Sweet Valley series (Francine Pascal)!

I started reading Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, Stephen King, Wilbur Smith, Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) Agatha Christie, Jane Austen during my teens and I am still partial to them.

You can read the rest here.

The Hopeless Blogger

      I started blogging on January 29th, 2009. It was the fulfillment of my New Year's resolution. I had promised to do something about my writing career which seemed to be floundering even before it had taken off. So I figured that blogging would help me get over myself. Every time, I opened my laptop I would become paralyzed by fear. A fear that perhaps I was not really a good writer leave alone a great one. What if I started writing and nobody would want to read my stuff not even me? I had spent about a year and a half doing term papers online and I knew it was time to move on. It was time to simply get out there, start writing and hope that the newspapers, magazines and netizens will love me and I will have a billion adoring readers worldwide. And so after only 29 days of procrastination, I put up my first post. Reading it now, makes me cringe  (you can check it out at http://www.anujamouli.blogspot.in/search?updated-max=2009-01-29T10:48:00-08:00&max-results=7&start=49&by-date=false )  but in retrospect it was definitely a step in the right direction, even if I only managed 57 followers J

 It has been over a year since my last blog post and Google and Blogger are entirely to blame. The former bought out the latter and I received an email with a set of complicated instructions about how I needed a gmail id for Blogger. Long boring story short, due to reasons beyond my limited comprehension, I can no longer access my original blog though I do have gmail.

Anyways it had served its purpose. I had put up a few reviews of Tamil movies on my blog and was hired by Behindwoods.com as a content writer and columnist for their entertainment and news websites. More importantly, I was writing even though I was as freaked out as before with the result that nearly four years after my first blog post my first book – Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince is all set to hit the stores on January 20^th.

Now that is a happy ending for a hopeless blogger, I suppose. But the nameless, constant dread is back and I have a terrible case of the prerelease jitters. What if nobody wants to read my book? What if only 57 people read it? What if those who read it hate it? What if those who read it and hate it slam my book in reviews that go viral?

Fortunately better sense has kicked in and I have decided to start blogging again before I torture and mentally f**k myself into a loony bin. Besides I needed a forum to shamelessly plug my new book. So unless Google and Blogger decide otherwise, I am back to my hopeless blogging.