Lapses in detail, but still a worthy story

 

Ashwin Sanghi’s uncanny ability to make modern day mountains out of mythological molehills is always entertaining and very instructive. The latest addition to his acclaimed Bharat series is The Ayodhya Alliance – which is ambitious and audacious in scale and scope. Sanghi’s trademark blend of spirituality, science and politics from the past and present go into the making of this fast and furiously paced thriller. The hyper-editing ensures the book has the feel of a Bollywood potboiler carefully crafted to capture the eyeballs of the ADHD – afflicted, near extinct, modern reader to dizzying effect.

There is a fantastic premise about a mysterious ancient technology that supposedly harnessed the equal and opposing yet complementary energies of Shiva and Vishnu together worshipped as Harihara in the physical realm, that could unleash unlimited power and alter the course of history, science and technology across the ages by creating weapons and tools of unimaginable power as well as time – defying monuments of extraordinary beauty. Ravana, the greatest devotee of Shiva gained access to this secret and revealed it to Lakshmana as he lay dying on the battlefield of Lanka. Henceforth, the legend and its power were safeguarded for thousands of years by guardians named Dvaitalingam Rakshaks bound by a sacred oath. In the present day, India’s borders come under threat and its defences have taken a beating from a certain powerful neighbour with superior technology and comparable population. Maverick steel maven – Aditya Pillai, and his counterpart from South Korea, Somi Kim, find themselves collaborating on a crucial, high-stakes defence project that could give India the upper hand. As they race against the clock and battle ruthless adversaries, they find themselves travelling back in time on a quest for an ancient scientific force that brought together allies from Ayodhya, Kailasa, Pandya Desam, Rome, Damascus, Korea, and Thailand who joined hands to avert war, share knowledge, and build a better world. In Somi’s words, “…sometimes, the solutions we seek in the present were first dreamed of in the past.”

Oscillating across centuries and continents while hopscotching from subjects as diverse as quantum physics, metallurgy, history, philosophy, and international affairs is no mean feat and Sanghi does a commendable job of juggling many balls with reasonable levels of dexterity. But he does drop the ball on occasion. Known for his meticulous research and fascinating factoids, he nevertheless falters in his attempt to bridge the North and South - Indian divide. Inaccuracies with regard to the authenticity of Tamil language, literature and cultural milieu crop up and key historical events from the South which witnessed violent clashes between the Shaivite and Vaishnavite sects in the late Vedic age and during the rule of certain Shaivite Chola Kings are skipped which is a pity given the concept of the novel. The occasional anachronism creeps in as well and the reader is informed that a character “unbuttoned his shirt” in the throes of passion, 2000 years ago.

While he deserves a rap on the knuckles for not paying closer attention to detail, a pat on the back is also due for the commendable effort made to remind his readers that while regional identity and pride is understandable it must not come at the cost of  Indianness and unity. Some characters make a worthy effort to overcome the barriers of race, religion and caste in the interest of the greater good.

There is action, danger and hidden menace at every turn but for Ashwin Sanghi afficionados it is the density of ideas which pay off in rich dividends. The beating heart of the book, bleeds with anguish for the loss of invaluable knowledge, art, wholesome customs and a way of life at the hands of ruthless invaders. It raises awareness about generational trauma and the ignorance, intolerance it engendered which leads to cultural erosion and the spawning of more hatred and violence - “…even the most sacred of sites, the most powerful of deities, could not withstand intolerance”. This has led to the victimised committing to victimising others, justifying their conduct by pointing to past injustices not realizing that it cannot be used as an excuse to condone present day atrocities. Sanghi makes a powerful case for kindness and compassion through his protagonists for whom it is the bonds of love and friendship that is the bulwark of strength and support during challenging moments in their lives, even more so than technological knowhow and ancient power.

It calls for the precision of a tightrope walker to endorse the merits of taking pride in being Indian and the attempt to assert our cultural, spiritual and scientific legacy across global platforms without being gau-rakshaks about it. Ashwin Sanghi just about pulls it off and The Ayodhya Alliance is a worthy addition to his Bharat collection and will no doubt have readers clamouring for more.

This book review was originally published in TNIE Magazine

How much Mythology is too much Mythology?

In recent times, the tidal wave of interest in mythology has become something of a publishing phenomenon. Thanks to the extraordinary success of the likes of Ashwin Sanghi, Anand Neelakantan, Devdutt Pattnaik and Amish Tripathi among others, the supposedly 33 crore deities from the Hindu pantheon have been retrieved from the musty passageways of memory and legend, dusted off, polished, retrofitted and propelled into the collective consciousness with gleaming, often  glamourous avatars. And the reading populace can’t get enough, it seems. Mythology appears to have become a safe bet as far as the publishers are concerned and hence, an endless stream of myth – based fiction is making its way to the marketplace. But is this surfeit of a good thing really a good thing? 

            On the one hand, one wishes that aspiring authors would quit it with the mythology obsession which if it continues at the present rate is surely going to make the taste of the flavour of the season cloying in the extreme and effectively kill the market. It is the hope that the scribblers write about something else or take up another career if it means making the field less competitive. But that would be indicative of selfish self – interest as this writer has a finger in the mythology pie and it would behove her to look at this question from an objective angle.

            While those with a religious frame of mind or an appreciation for our glorious culture and heritage are no doubt thrilled that youngsters have taken to Puranic lore in such a big way the more conservative among the populace are frothing at the mouth with some of the artistic liberties taken with the sacrosanct material that most first heard, while seated on the laps of their grandmothers who told the edifying stories just so, the way they heard it while sitting cross – legged on the earthen floor from their elders. In this brave new world though, the Gods are no longer all powerful entities who leave the pious quaking with love, awe or fear but they have been brought to the level of the mortals where one may get up close and personal with them and I daresay find a wart or two and even grey hairs, sorry, shades.

            This brand new relationship that has been forged with the supreme consciousness, appalling as it may be to some is nevertheless a wonderful thing. And before extremists grab their weapons of sweeping condemnation and moral outrage, allow me to elaborate. Indian culture with its grandiose, sweeping range and a major chunk of traditions, religious and otherwise that have been handed down over the millennia has survived despite repeated attacks by invaders who made short work of entire civilizations. And no, it is not a fluke.

The powerful Gods from Roman and Greek mythology rule only in the pages of charming fiction but are otherwise forgotten and certainly not worshipped. Youngsters hardly know the Norse Gods, excepting Thor and Loki, the mighty God of Thunder and his nemesis, who many believe to be the work of Stan Lee at his most creative. Have the Egyptian Gods or the way of life that came into being with the magnificent Nile – valley civilization retained their relevance?  What about the Incans, Maya or Aztecs? What spared India from a similar fate? 

While it has not been worked down to a science, the general consensus is that Indians have always had the ability to assimilate the best from other religions, cultures and traditions even if it belongs to a hated conqueror in order to incorporate the best others have to offer with the vastness of the precious knowledge that was no doubt accumulated in the same way and make it their own. It is through this remarkably symbiotic process that the gifts of our predecessors in the fields of art, science, philosophy etc. have been preserved and we ensure that the presents of the past survives the merciless sands of time. If that is not a beautiful thing I don’t know what is!

Likewise, if the modern era demands that we re-examine the way we choose to connect with our Gods and Goddesses, treating them as friends, adversaries or intriguing puzzles that need to be scrutinized every which way, surely there is nothing wrong with it? Because for the most part, readers pick up these new – fangled books not merely because they are a fad or an amusing curiosity but out of an underlying sense of love and deep respect for a culture and heritage that is exclusively our own and one we can take rightful pride in.

This abiding affinity for all things Indian be it myth, pickles or item numbers allows us to stay connected to our roots and feel the sanctuary of a grandmother’s lap even as we find ourselves barrelling across the highway of life, heading for strange shores to make our homes, embracing cutting – edge technology and contributing to it or wrapping our heads around ideas and notions that are entirely foreign but have been accepted as the norm. Why then should we disparage authors for taking the mythology that is common to all of us and doing with it what they will if it means that our children and their children will keep the treasure trove of the best of our ancient beliefs close to their hearts and value it forever? 

Hopefully future generations will take the old stories, add a little something new in keeping with their times and infuse it with a delicious irreverence that will make the most sacrilegious and contentious authors of the present day puke blood or roll in their graves. That would be fine too, because ultimately we cannot have too much of a good thing when it is our good thing.   

An edited version of this piece was published in Creative India

Converting a Critic while Fighting the Green - Eyed Monster

There are few things that suck as much as a bad review.  And if the bad review is from a good critic it sucks even worse. A couple of years ago, Urmi Chanda - Vaz, who describes herself  as a psychologist by training, a journalist by profession and a mythologist by passion, had this to say about Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior - Prince in her article Indian Mythological Fiction: What to Read, What to Ditch for Scroll, "Another disappointment in the realm of Indian mythological fiction comes in the form of Anuja Chandramouli’s Arjuna. In yet another retelling of the Mahabharata, the author writes the story from the prime Pandava’s perspective. With so many character-specific retellings in the market and subpar language, there’s nothing new this book has to offer. Her latest book, Kamadeva – The God of Desire chooses an unusual character and one hopes there are more takeaways." (You can check it out here.)

Needless to say, I was crushed but consoled myself with the fact that Ashwin Sanghi and Anand Neelakantan,  were keeping me company on the 'Ditch' list and Urmi had some scathing things to say about their work as well. The thought offered a little solace till harsh reality struck - both are more successful and famous though I am younger and thinner, which last fact notwithstanding, Amazon still went with Ashwin for what I am sure was a super - lucrative advertising deal and the Gods of television chose Anand to script a mega serial. Damn it, no wonder they seem to handle criticism with such grace and poise, two traits I struggle to find in the aftermath of negative reviews! How on Earth does one recover from such trauma without wallowing in petty envy and resentment? Simple, one gets over oneself and keeps going. 

Cut to a couple of years later. I had been pestering Urmi on Facebook, with the occassional cringe - worthy message that went something like this: "Hi!

I just read your article, "Indian Mythological Fiction: What to Read, What to Ditch" and what can I say but ouch! That being said, I hope you do read Kama. Arjuna may not have been the right guy for you but Kama is irresistible and hopefully this time around, you'll be blown away! Regards, Anuja Chandramouli" 

Sometimes I am the world's greatest source of embarrassment to myself and still find it hard to come to terms with the lameness and desperate need to be liked part of me which clashes awfully with the don't - give - a - hot - damn persona, that I worked so hard to cultivate for myself. The critic in question meanwhile was sweet and showed a great deal of restraint while dealing with this pain in the posterior/ irritatingly insecure author. 

When Shakti was out, she promised me a review and was as good as her word. In her assessment of my third, which appeared in Swarajya she had a few observations, " This book had me both delighted and confused. Delighted, because in the realm of mythological fiction Anuja Chandramouli displays great skill...Confused, because its agenda doesn’t seem very clear.I cannot help but call this work ‘moody’ given that it swings so often from the sublime to the violent, from the lofty to the crass. 

When she assumes her beauteous stance, the author’s words sound mellifluous and poetic. But when she gets into her blood-and-gore mode, her language gets crass and the graphic details could put an Eli Roth movie to shame." (You can read the rest here.)

With Ashwin Sanghi, Anand Neelakantan and Arshia Sattar at OLF 2013

This is not exactly a rave review even though she commended me for tackling such a complex subject with "guts and gumption", but I am still over the moon, because it is awesome when readers get you. It was my intention to bring together the sacred and profane; profound and putrid in Shakti, because the way I see it, every single contrasting element in the world may be traced back to the same divine source and hence nobody and nothing is ever exempt from divine grace. That is a happy thought isn't it? Especially for one who admires and respects Ashwin Sanghi and Anand Neelakantan for being lovely human beings and wonderful authors, despite an awful tendency to be jealous of them and as a direct consequence, stooping to the level of making fun of their girth and advanced years.