Blogger Sruti Nayani's Review of Kamadeva: The God of Desire

Anuja Chandramouli’s latest offering is quite different from the previous ‘Arjuna - Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince’. I did think Arjuna reminded me of the Amar Chitra Katha version of the  ‘Mahabharata’, but that is where ‘Kamadeva - The God of Desire' is different. I remember reading enough Kamadeva in ACK but I do not think it ever carried a version, such as this.

Kudos to Chandramouli for the way, in which she describes the story, with an all new taste of wit and laughter.

You can read the rest of the review here.

Book Review: The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee

Neel Mukherjee’s Man Booker shortlisted, The Lives of Others is a study in skeletons. Those bony frameworks that support the human organism grinning all the while, irritatingly smug about the knowledge they have accreted about the terrifying things that lurk beyond the grave from rotting flesh and squirming maggots to the solitary journey of the soul along an unlit passage. Mukherjee concerns himself particularly with those skeletons that have been banished to the deep recesses of the closet by the Ghoshes, as bourgeois a family as they come, where the sceptre of the painful secrets they harbour need not pose a threat to the living who would rather concern themselves with the fripperies and fopperies of a superficial existence. If that were not ambitious in itself, he also ferrets out the bony remnants of the corpses that a nation released from the iron grip of the British Empire has made it a habit to relegate to the hidden chamber of wilful ignorance by slavishly catering to the demands of the very rich at the expense of those who languish below the poverty line.

            Three generations of Ghoshes live together in a four – storey house in South Calcutta feeding off the short – lived prosperity that was made possible by the patriarch, Prafullanath who built his business empire on the foundation of great personal loss, its subsequent pain and a ruthless desire to get ahead at all costs even if it meant hoodwinking a grieving widow or riding roughshod over those weaker than him. Evil omens stalk the family that is already splintering from within as the Ghosh siblings, daughters – in – law and children endlessly slug it out, incessantly jockeying for a bigger share of the family assets and increased leverage in their airless corner of the world, causing the old man to remark morosely, “I feel I have just been a conducting pipe between the bad in the past and the bad in the future.”

            Even as his family remains locked in their infernal squabbling, neck-deep in the juices of base inequities such as incestuous bonds, substance abuse, the relentless pursuit of taboo pleasure, furtive practices of forbidden sexual peccadilloes, and casual cruelty, Supratik, a young college student with his head well and truly turned by misguided idealism supplemented by his obstinate impracticality leaves home hoping to change the world by redressing the wrongs meted out to the have-nots using brute force and bloody insurrection if need be.

            Mukherjee strips his colourful array of diverse characters to the bare bones affording his readers a voyeuristic glimpse into the intimate secrets contained therein triggering shock, amazement and often, shame. For, he extends the same unflinching treatment to a country that has gone mad with greed, divesting it off the layers of hypocrisy and pretentiousness which continue to cloak it, long after the fictional events this novel chronicles from the 1960s, even as the rift widens increasingly between those who are insulated by extreme wealth and the rest who are left out in the cold. None can remain untouched by guilt for having contributed in infinitesimal ways to the class divide that has made victims out of too many to count, trapped in the knowledge “that the world is as it is, and knocking your head against its hard shell is only going to break you, not dent the world.”

            The narrative forges ahead into the thorny terrain that Supratik has chosen to traverse, to the assorted variables that led to the rise of the Maoist Naxalite guerrillas, taking the time to meander into the heart of the turmoil that is always rocking this particular household throwing into sharp focus, their petty foibles that mirrors the rot in the society that birthed them. As Supratik and his family hurtle towards their fate, melodrama rears its head and saturates the proceedings with a curious mixture of horror and disbelief, striking a few discordant notes regarding the logic underlying some of the pre - climactic events that see the inexplicable return of the prodigal son who is a wanted man bringing predictable disaster in his wake. This aside the intense action culminates in an explosive finale that will leave a chill in the heart which will not be easily dispelled.

An edited version of this review appeared in the New Indian Express, which you can check out here. 

My Interview!

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

Even as a little girl, I used to have a certain knack for storytelling. My grandmother would make me tell the tale of Krishna and his defeat of the evil Kamsa to every single one of her guests and I would always get a big round of applause and a whole lot of oohs and aahs. Later at school, my friends and classmates would beg me for stories. It gave me a kick to put up a big fuss but eventually I’d give in and secretly I’d be very flattered when a big group gathered around for my little tales. Around that time, I won prizes for essay writing and the teachers used to read out samples of my writing to my classmates as well as the seniors and for the first time, I realized that this was something I could actually do well without screwing up too badly. 

That was the beginning and I guess, it was in the cards that my life would be devoted to writing and telling stories. 

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

After the release of my first book Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince, I went through a bit of a dry spell, creatively speaking. Was working on a horror story hoping to become India’s answer to Stephen King, but my efforts came to naught and I was going bonkers. My publishers approached me at the time and we tossed around a few ideas for my next book. We shortlisted Parashurama and Kama and for some strange reason, I was really drawn to the latter. Perhaps, he struck me with one of his arrows... all I know is that I became quite obsessed with Kama. It has been an amazing experience getting closer to him and writing down his story. 

You can read the rest here.

Great review on Kamadeva: The God of Desire in the New Indian Express!

Kama is deva, a god, but he hardly gets his due anymore. Agni, Vayu, Indra are all invoked with mantras on some earthly business or the other, but Kama’s name is uttered furtively and then greeted with titters. He is one half of a modern byword for pornography: Kamasutra. It is just as the god, in Anuja Chandramouli’s Kamadeva: The God of Desire, tells his stepmother, the goddess Saraswati: “It is highly unlikely that in future people will build temples in my honour or compose beautiful songs for me. I will be lucky if I am remembered enough to be featured prominently in pornographic material; worse still is the distinct possibility that the god, Kama, will be lampooned as the divine pimp!”

Anuja does not go into the ‘why’ of Kama’s fall. That is known to be an outcome of long colonial rule, for Khajuraho and countless other temples across the country testify that Kama’s business was sacred enough to grace their walls till a few hundred years ago. Victorian prudery knocked this minor god off his pedestal, but ironically, the influence he lost in India is now strongly visible in the West.

What The God of Desire does, without trying too hard, is it strips all the accumulated innuendo and salacity that have wrapped Kama over the past couple of hundred years, and shows him in many shades of grey (no pun intended). He is sensitive, sensuous, beautiful, thoughtful and even righteous.

There’s never a dull page in this history of Kamadeva...You can read the rest here.

Book Review: We are all Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

Twists are a tricky business. They can make or break an artiste as Manoj Night Shyamlan will ruefully attest to. Fowler takes quite the risk with her shocler which is revealed 77 pages into her gripping tale, in the Man Booker shortlisted, We are all Completely Beside Ourselves. As far as these things go, hers is quite clever not to mention “irritatingly coy” and feels more than a little ludicrous. On the strength of it one tends to become a tad dismissive about the weighty themes the writer had hitherto been grappling with using a deceptively deft touch and surreptitiously clever writing that draws up dread – inducing visions of the smoking ruins of a family that once included loving parents and three siblings, two of whom are gone possibly never to return.

            Then a miracle occurs and ever so gently, Fowler weaves her intricate spell pulling the unsuspecting reader into the heart of her wondrous story, filling them with empathy and getting them invested emotionally with every one of her characters irrespective of whether they are human or not. Case in point is a marionette we get to know as Madame Defarge and whom Rosemary Cooke, the narrator/protagonist tries unsuccessfully to protect only to wind up losing her the way she has too many of her loved ones.

            Rosemary is reeling from a double blow - the loss of Fern, the twin sister who has been taken away from her and whose departure she might well have brought about in the extreme throes of sibling rivalry and Lowell, the runaway brother, she adores, now embarked on a self – destructive path of no return and who with the inexplicable cruelty of the very young may have held her responsible for the spectacular disintegration of their family. As always, Rosemary is inclined to agree with her beloved sibling and for the longest time she runs from her past as though it were a hound from hell out to get her, armouring herself in denial until the day she realizes that her very future is imperilled because of her inability to confront the ghosts from her unorthodox childhood that refuse to die.

In a bid to make amends and to absolve herself of the debilitating guilt that has long enslaved her, Rosemary begins a meandering journey through the dangerously slippery slope that is memory, piecing together pieces of her life that are too painful to be borne even as the phantasmagorical wisps of clues dredged up from her tormented psyche play hide and seek with her, concealing, misleading and tricking her outright into a false sense of security before pulling her down under and leaving her breathless with misery.

            Funny in parts but mostly heart – rending, Fowler draws attention to the ethical obligation that science and scientists owe species ranked lower on the food chain than the homo sapiens, in their often ruthless quest to alleviate the suffering of the latter be it from illness or their frustrated attempts to zero in on the perfect moisturizer or lipstick. Sterile labs that carry out their secret experiments have seldom taken on a more sinister cast. Needless to say the author is far more effective than animal rights activists with their penchant for featuring topless celebrities in order to induce people to curb cruelty towards our four – legged and feathered brethren. In fact, readers will undoubtedly experience an unexpected pang of guilt, the next time a filthy rodent crosses their path and be warned that a fun - filled trip to the zoo, especially the monkey enclosure is likely to bring on a fit of hysterics.

            Rosemary Cooke is a wonderful narrator with a disconcerting but delightful habit of engaging her audience directly - “My father made a crude joke... If the joke were witty, I’d include it, but it wasn’t. You’d think less of him and thinking less of him is my job not yours.” as she bares her soul with exhibitionist and gay abandon provoking laughter and tears in equal measure. With her intimate reveal of fractured relationships and scientific experiments gone hopelessly haywire, this moral comedy is a harrowing hoot and a half. 

An edited version of this originally appeared in the New Indian Express. You can read it here.

Finding the Love in an Arranged Marriage

It is anathema to many that arranged marriages continue to prevail and even flourish in these increasingly progressive times. Somehow it comes across as anachronistic and unromantic at exactly the same time. Parents playing matchmaker and selecting a spouse for their son or daughter harkens back to an era which those living in this age would envision as  something out of a period film where people swath themselves in yards of unnecessary fabric most unfashionably and with the docility of doormats allow themselves to be married to someone they had never even met let alone spoken to and probably made love in the dark at the auspicious hour appointed by their elders as per the tenets of the draconian laws framed by those from an even more remote timeframe.

            The marriage websites that have mushroomed across the murky wetland of the internet provide a lot of fodder for derisive laughter on account of the fact that a vast majority of the users whose predominant criteria  regarding the hunt for their better half appears to be to find themselves someone who is either fairer than the moon or wealthier than an oil sheik which of course lends support to the argument that an arranged marriage is a superficial, cold and business like arrangement bereft of the tender emotions that are needed to make a marriage really sing.

            Naysayers would also scoff at the findings showing that the divorce rates are less among those who have opted for an arranged marriage compared to the many love marriages that crash and burn on account of waning passions, insisting that the statistics are misleading because the doormats and coldly calculative types in such marriages will carry on with the arrangement irrespective of whether they are happy or unhappy simply because they do not have the guts to walk out or because the reason they walked into this unsatisfactory partnership in the first place still holds.

            However, there is the possibility however farfetched and ludicrous it may sound in this day and age that the foundation on which this creaking dinosaur of an institution was built may not be entirely unsound. Aside from the fact that it remains standing despite repeated condemnation, recent studies have led to experts concluding that lasting affection is more likely to be found in arranged matches than marriage bonds forged in the heat of passion.

This is mostly because those in arranged marriages tend to work harder on nurturing what they feel for each other till it blossoms into love over a period of time. Having made a commitment after careful consideration of compatibility either of their own accord or owing to the efforts of their family members, these couples are more willing to wade together past the rocky patches till they reach the Elysian fields of nuptial bliss.

On the other hand, those who marry for love tend to be so caught up in the heat of their romance that they forget that flames no matter how fiercely they burn eventually dissipate leaving nothing but cold disappointment behind. Unable to recapture the addictive highs of the heady romance that marked their early days together, the couple feel there is no reason to hang on to a relationship where the glowing embers are dying past the hope of rekindling. Consequently, rigid conservatives are quick to pounce on this unsavoury little aspect of romantic love and have pronounced it the predominant cause of promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, burgeoning divorce rates and the spike in sex – related crimes.

Those inclined to sit on the fence regarding this question which is almost as ancient as the venerable institution of marriage depending on the natural bent of their minds will say that a marriage is a marriage irrespective of the reasons involved and there is always romance when two souls are joined together in holy matrimony or alternatively, that marriage irrespective of the causative factors is availed off solely by those with dangerously low IQ levels.

Both viewpoints make sense. Who amongst us can listen to charming tales from elders in the family about the first time they met their spouse even if it was in a room full of stiff – backed relatives and not feel warm and fuzzy seeing the gentle glow on their features? Of course, barring serial killers and rabid members of the moral police squad none can remain untouched by lovers, lost to all but each other and refrain from rooting for a fairy tale finish to their romance.

That being said though, it is hard not to feel cynical about love and marriage, when the papers are full of horror stories about women being tortured and killed over dowry – related issues, honour killings that see lovers ruthlessly hunted down and butchered or entire communities burnt down because two youngsters dared to fall in love ignoring traditional dictates favouring same – caste unions, one wonders if love and marriage both ought not to be relegated to the trash heap and left there to fester and rot.

However since that is neither here nor there, we may sum up the issue by acknowledging that true love is rare and Kama’s arrows bearing the gift of love at their tip strike only a chosen few. It is foolhardy to chase after it hoping to be taken soaring across the heavens for a gentle landing on the summit of happiness when in reality such a quest is far more likely to see the reckless voyager plummet into the depths of tragedy. That does not mean the vast majority has to settle for a loveless existence, especially since there is always arranged marriage with its promise of the ecstasies contained within - love, sex, passion, desire, romance and companionship, all dealt out in limited doses of course as a reward to those who persevere, steadfast in their belief that love triumphs over all, even the limitations of an arbitrary God of Desire and outdated institutions. 

An edited version of this article is available at Indiabookstore.net which you can access here. 

Book Review: The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

World War II may just be the most unsightly stain on the dark and messy tapestry that is the history of this world, but it has since then sought to redeem itself by serving as a redoubtable muse and consistently yielding works of art that vary in quality, ranging from literature and movies of the highest grade to the occasional dud which can only be described as torture porn.

Given the voluminous tomes and the many films that most have already waded through, horrified and shocked senseless by the atrocities documented of a time when mankind seemed hell bent on plumbing the furthest depths of evil, it is safe to say that the majority have grown benumbed to the terrible tragedy of that awful war. Richard Flanagan comes along with his sixth novel and suddenly the horror is real all over again. The bone-jarring visceral imagery he conjures up of the immense suffering endured by too-many-to-count will be burnt into the brain forevermore where the memory of lost souls who died senselessly for no discernible cause will haunt the living in the futile hope that all will learn the lessons offered by a tragic and too easily forgotten past.

Flanagan’s epic is about Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor, who is not only doomed to suffer an unlucky romance but also finds himself in charge of a group of POWs who have been condemned to serve on the ‘Line’—the construction of the Thailand-Burma Death Railway dreamed up by a desperate Japanese Empire and given its impetus by the infallible logic of war. The 77-year-old Dr Evans is haunted in equal measure by his ‘cobbers’ who he “held, nursed, cajoled, begged, hoodwinked and organised into surviving” but who insisted on dying anyway and the memory of his overwrought love affair with his uncle’s young wife which nudges him along a tortuous path of private emptiness which he seeks to plug with a string of meaningless affairs and public honours that he grows to loathe.

You can read the rest here.

THE WOMEN IN KAMADEVA's LIFE!

The general assumption about Kamadeva, the God of Desire would be that given his extraordinary good looks and remarkable powers he would be an Eastern Lothario or Casonova with the well - deserved reputation for going through women like they were potato chips. Kama was far too sensitive to be a heart breaker though. The women in his life, barring one noteworthy exception were truly fortunate for he really was the perfect man, who was the best of lovers and friends.

Rati was the great love of his life and beloved consort.The two of them had what most people can only fantasize about or experience vicariously through the overwrought prose of romance novels. He did not bind her to his will and she did not try to keep him chained to her affection. They knew how to give each other space even if they were never in each other’s face. In short they were the perfect couple and while they had each other neither wanted for anything. In fact, though I find most so - called cute couples nauseating, I adore these two and they are my favourites by far. 

However, a strange combination of events led to his marrying the Princess Karnotpala who found a way to do the impossible and regain her lost youth in order to be worthy of him! Isn't that interesting ladies? For those out there who don't fancy plastic surgery, a brutal diet and workout regime, the twin evils of botox and liposuction, or spending their life's saving in overpriced salons who would give an arm and leg to know her secret, all I can say is you need to pre - order the book pronto. Although be warned, Karnotpala's journey to regain her looks was quite the ordeal, requiring oodles of hard work, patience, fortitude, discipline and even more hard work, hardly suited to those of us who want everything instantly if not sooner. 


Wondrous though the tale of Karnotpala and Kama, the factors that led to him coveting Purnakala, the wife of a curmudgeonly sage, were even more bizarre. It sparked off a tragedy of such epic proportions that even his wives were too sad to be mad at him for his philandering. 

There is more of course, but you'll have to wait for Kamadeva: The God of Desire out in stores this month. I can hardly wait. In the meantime, do check out the awesome new book trailer for Kama right here.

A GIFT FROM MY FAIRY GODMOTHER!

Ok get this... It all started with Ashwin Sanghi whom I admire something fierce. Not only is he super smart and talented but he is a wonderful human being with a big heart. How can you not adore someone who has this to say about your book?

I am digressing, so as his follower on twitter, I came to know about the kickass trailers he puts up on Youtube for all his books. Now for publishers, Sanghi is the holy grail because his genius for writing is matched by an equivalent brilliance in marketing. Compare this with yours truly. I am what you call a hopeless introvert of the wallflower variety. My biggest regret is that I am not half - chameleon with the superhuman ability to merge into my surroundings. In fact, one of the reasons this profession endeared itself to me, was the fact that it allows me to work in the privacy of my room with my oldest and most comfy pjs, without having to interact with the rest of the homo sapien species. 

However, as a writer, I want to be read. Desperately so. In fact you won't hear me complain about the screaming fans who mob me when I step out of the house to do something normal like scarf down a samosa mix or an ice cream, to get my autograph on their copy of Kama or Arjuna or both, when that daydream becomes a reality (Cross my heart!) But this need to be the rock star of the literary world seems to be at odds with the aforementioned introverted personality I wrote about. I become afflicted with a case of acute embarrassment when called upon to aggressively promote my book by inundating friends and followers on Twitter, FB and my blog with whom I barely interact otherwise, barring the times I raise my overused index finger to like their latest photos. Now Dhanush did not knock on doors begging people to listen to Kolaveri Di, but that did not stop the track from going viral right? That is exactly what I want for my Kama. Where is a fairy Godmother when you need her to come up with a spiffy promo campaign for your book?
These are the things, I keep harping about with the lovely folks who constitute my inner circle, till I suspect they want to gag me. Anyway, one among them who wishes to remain unnamed not only listened patiently while I bitched endlessly about how unreasonably expensive it is to put up a book trailer like Ashwin Sanghi but came up with this awesome book preview for my Kama which you can watch here and share with your friends to help my book shatter records! Enjoy!
As for my fairy Godmother and guardian angel (who might prefer knight in shining armour), a million thanks for the incredible labour of love. Steven Spielberg and James Cameron could not have done better :)

New Banner for Kama Courtesy of Hubby :)

Be the first to read it!!!

Hi guys! Come fall in love with Kamadeva this month! Super excited  
Available for preorder at:

Flipkart: 
http://www.flipkart.com/kamadeva-god-desire-english/p/itmdxt226ju9dbgu?pid=9788129134592&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=Kamadeva+The+God+Of+Desire&ref=a42cc9be-15cc-4a45-b34a-7b3d01da8079

HomeShop18:
http://www.homeshop18.com/kamadeva-god-desire/author:anuja-chandramouli/isbn:9788129134592/books/fiction/product:32363201/cid:11446/?pos=1

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.in/Kamadeva-God-Desire-Anuja-Chandramouli/dp/8129134594/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406885611&sr=8-2&keywords=Kamadeva+The+God+Of+Desire

The BLURB!

Available for pre-order on Flipkart, Homeshop18 and IndiaBookStore.

Best Selling Authors - Ashwin Sanghi and Anand Neelakantan on my Kamadeva!

I am so grateful to Ashwin and Anand - Giants in the Indian Literary space who have been so wonderfully kind and encouraging ! Both of them are so large - hearted and an inspiration to me. Wish them even more success in the years to come and here's hoping that someday, I am mentioned in the same breath as either of them!

For all those lovely readers out there who would like to get their hands on a copy of Kamadeva: The God of Desire (Ahem... I am told it is the most exciting book of the year :) ), it is available here. at a special early bird price! Place your orders now! Whoo hoo!

FIRST LOOK: KAMADEVA, THE GOD OF DESIRE

Finally! It is that time of the year when 'my book' (you never get tired of saying it!!) is gearing up for release! Kamadeva: The God of Desire will be hitting the stands soon, and it will be available for pre - order later this month. I am so giddy with excitement that I am confusing myself with a ball bouncing off the walls in a pinball machine.
It has been a fun ride and I simply cannot wait for all of you to read it. Initially, I knew little about the God of Desire beyond the fact that he was incinerated by Shiva and later reborn as Krishna's son, Pradyumna. This book was a great opportunity to get to know him better. Kama is an awesome fella and he is funny, sweet, sexy and kind. There is so much more to him than the obvious. Hope you guys also come to love him as much as I do.
The cover has come out great! Big thanks to my publishers, Rupa Publications.

HUGE THANKS TO ALL MY READERS!

My first book, Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince was released in January, 2013. Currently, I am working hard with the editorial team at Rupa Publications and we are gearing up for the release of my second book which is about Kama, the God of Desire (Forgive me for the shameless plug :) ). It has been almost a year and a half since Arjuna hit the stands and I still get the occasional email from readers with glowing feedback or constructive criticism and suggestions for my next book. Being an introvert, who is yet to outgrow the stranger anxiety first evinced as a toddler, I am not all that great at getting along with people and my best friend remains unchanged - a good book. And yet, as a writer there is nothing I love more than a response from rank strangers who took the time out from their busy lives to drop a line to share their thoughts on my offering. Heck, even those who put up posts or reviews on their blogs or flipkart to opine that I sucked leave me strangely moved!

This post, as you may have surmised from the title is to thank every single one of my readers, whether they loved or hated Arjuna, mailed me their feelings about it or not, posted reviews raving about it or ripping it to itty bitty shreds. You guys are responsible for the warm, tingly feeling I get every time, you have reached out to me. A MILLION THANKS!

Unforunately, I cannot put up all the wonderful emails I have received here, so thought I'll share the last two emails I got:

Hi Ma'm,

I just finished your book Arjuna just now... and I thought it to be an absolutely necessity on my part to congratulate you on the so very vividly detailed book that you have conjured.

I work in a software giant and despite all the work pressure, this book was finished in two days flat. 

To follow up on the basic purpose of this email (apart from being just a congratulatory one), do you plan to write a similar book on Karna as well? 

I mean in page 236, you described him as a lynchpin, I would absolutely love to read something from your side which raises Karna to proportions as epic as Arjuna.

Regards,

Soham Chaudhuri

Madam,

I have just finished reading your book "Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince". Well, i just could not resist the opportunity to say Thanks to you!! I found the book very entertaining till the end and your way of story telling was wonderful, especially the way you have highlighted the obscure parts of the life of Arjuna. your research in this field is truly commendable.

I have always been a fan of the Mahabharata and whenever time permits, I try to read stories related to this great epic. One thing that amazes me is that, if the events of this great epic were true, then our society in those days was so technically advanced (keeping aside all the divine interventions and just focusing on the science and technology part)!! Also, it is very amazing on the other hand that all these technological advances and wisdom of knowledge has been lost in the following 3000 years (if I am right about the time period of the great epic)!!

It is my request to you that may you please shed highlight on two characters, if possible, in your upcoming books. One is that of Karna, the tragic hero and other of Lord Hanuman (though not related to Mahabharata but I have always found his character very interesting).

I would be looking forward for your upcoming novels.

Thanking you,

Saptarshi

Once again, thanks so much dear readers, YOU ROCK MY WORLD!!

Arjuna voted one of the winners in a poll conducted by Amazon.in!

YAY!! As a fledgling author, you live for moments like this... Check out this press release from Amazon.in! It says that Arjuna Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince by Anuja Chandramouli is one of the winners (Indian writing category) in a poll where book lovers across the the country voted for their favourite books in five different genres.
"Sudeep Nagarakar’s It Started with a Friend Request that triumphed with over 17% votes also topped the Indian writing category. The Oath of the Vayuputras by Amish Tripathi, the final in the Shiva trilogy came in a close second with 13% votes. Other winners in Indian writing included Sudha Murthy’s House of Cards, Accidental Apprentice by renowned Indian author Vikas Swarup and Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince by Anuja Chandramouli. The Amazon.in Reader’s Choice Polls also showed that in 2013, Indian Authors were the most popular amongst Indian book lovers."
Sooo happy!! You can read the full article here

The Resurgent Lure of Mythology, Odisha Lit Fest 2013

Awesome Arjuna!

These reviewers had awesome stuff to say about Arjuna! 
And now we have Arjuna – the saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince, by Anuja Chandramouli. This is her first book, and what a read! The book is so well-researched that it can put even ardent historians to shame. While the line diagrams of Devdutt’s books – Jaya, to be specific – are missing, the play of words and the story-telling that is Anuja’s forte more than make up for it. You can read the rest of it here.

Anuja Chandramouli does a good job with the book. True to its name, the book focuses more on the third Pandava prince and narrates the epic through his experiences and to a certain extent, through his voice. Anuja also mentions some incidents that I haven’t come across... Read the rest of the review here.

Colors Of My Life: Book Review: Arjuna – Saga of the Pandava Warrior ...

 The highlight of the book is the fact that the author has done her fair share of research which you see in small stories and details that have never been highlighted in the various version of Mahabharata that get included in school curriculum or the ones that get telecasted on the television. These details and stories push you to keep turning the pages and keep discovering new things about the great warrior who was part of the great war of Kurukshetra. Also the fact that the author included stories that highlight the fact that characters of Mahabharata  were flawed like any other human being was quite interesting.

READ THE REST HERE

Fun interview with Sruti Nayani!

Interview with Anuja Chandramouli, the author and spinner of yarns

This had to be an interview, which had me smiling throughout. Just as Anuja Chandramouli says that her book, ‘Arjuna’ is humorous, she herself is one for a sense of humour. 

Check it out here

Cover Girl!

In Her Own Words: Re-Telling an Indian Epic

Tim Hardaker travels to Sivakasi and engages in a delightful conversation with young debutante author Anuja Chandamouli , whose book Arjuna, is a passionate retelling of the Mahabharata, woven around Arjuna, the iconic Pandava warrior prince as the central character

Text: Tim Hardaker, Australia 

Photos: Alice Notarianni, Italy

This was my first interview ever for the Madurai Messenger. And I made the cover! It gave me quite a kick although it did make me wonder if I desperately need a makeover... Anyways, you can read it here.

At the Odisha Lit Fest!

I was super excited when Shampa Kamath of the New Indian Express extended an invitation for me to speak at the Odisha Literary Festival to be held on the 3rd and 4th of October in Bhubhaneshwar. The topic was "The Resurgent Lure of Mythology" and I would be sharing the stage with Ashwin Sanghi, bestselling author of Chanakya's Chant and the Krishna Key, Anand Neelakantan of Asura: Tale of the Vanquished fame and the brilliant Arshia Sattar. Needless to say, I accepted with alacrity!

It was an absolutely amazing experience for me, bordering on the surreal. The TNIE team were very friendly and it was great to meet luminaries like Prabhu Chawla, editorial director of TNIE (He was really sweet and came up to me during lunch which was immediately after our session to say that I had spoken well :) ), Union Minister Shashi Tharoor (I did not actually get to meet him per se but I did hear him speak at length), Kapish Mehra, Vikas Swarup, Jerry Pinto, Pratibha Ray, Namitha Gokhale, and Supriya Dravid amongst others.

As it turned out my secret fear that I would disgrace myself on stage was largely unfounded. And Anand made my day, month and year by observing that the biggest names in mythological writing had one thing in common, their names started with the alphabet, A - Amish Tripathi, Ashwin Sanghi, Anand Neelakantan and (ahem!) Anuja Chandramouli :) :) :) To my surprise, quite a few people from the audience tracked me down to compliment me and to inform me that they had not heard of me or my book, but they promised to read it asap and get back to me asap.

Rounded off a memorable trip to Bhubhaneshwar (will always love the beautiful city which has given me so many treasured memories) with a visit to the Sun temple at Konarak (it is unspeakably gorgeous) and Puri Jagannath temple with Dad and Anand Neelakantan, who is an absolute delight to hang out with given his wicked sense of humor and out of the box ideas, before rushing off to the airport.

Do check out this article covering the mythology session of the Odisha Lit Fest here.

Author Interview!

Here is my interview with Samarpita where I talk about my original plan to take the glamour world by storm and my ill - fated attempt to pull off a Stephen King. And of course, as you probably know already, there is lots about Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior - Prince. There is simply no shutting me up on the subject, short of paying me a fortune :)

Lessons from Gang - Rape, Violent Agitation and Death

I wrote this article for BehindIndia after the horrifying gang - rape case reported in New Delhi on 16 December 2012. In light of the more recent case where a photo - journalist from Mumbai was gang - raped on 22 August 2013, it would appear that unfortunately I was right about how we as a nation continue to close our eyes to the really important issues that plague the country.

The year 2012 may be winding down to a close but it refuses to go out with nary a murmur and we have been wracked with violent upheavals of the worst kind. In Delhi, a 23 year old medical student  was gang – raped on a moving bus and both she and her male friend were brutally assaulted with an iron rod before they were tossed out on a flyover half – naked. The victim is currently fighting for her life from a hospital bed. Since rape is commonplace in India, we have traditionally given it the attention we normally accord to performing our morning ablutions and have proceeded on our merry way. But the sheer brutality of the attack has galvanized a nation out of its turpitude and tentacles of outrage have spread out leaving in its wake a churning and heaving mass of killing passion. Protestors gathered at India Gate in their thousands to head towards Rashtrapati Bhavan demanding justice but somehow lofty principles vanished in a heartbeat leaving nothing but chaos as the demonstration turned violent and the cops had to resort to water – cannons and tear gas to restore order. And at the end of it all, one more innocent became a victim when a police constable, Suresh Tomar was attacked by hooligans and left unconscious. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

This kind of savage knee – jerk reaction is so characteristic of India and Indians. We spend entire lifetimes closing our eyes to injustice. We plod on with our jobs and lives believing that if we refuse to see evil, hear evil or speak of evil then we can escape its embrace in our lives and avoid becoming victims. As long as terrible things don’t happen to us and anybody we give two hoots about, we are content. So we pay our bribes, refuse to take a stand and we certainly cannot be bothered with helping those in need or fixing our country even if it is falling apart sick as it is with the rot of corruption. And then every once in a while something tragic happens on such a large scale that we are forced to open our eyes and acknowledge that nobody is safe. Becoming aware of the truth is one thing but handling its consequences is far trickier. In the United States of America, Adam Lanza killed his mother before walking into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killing 20 children and 6 adults and turning the gun far too late on himself. Fighting past the bottomless grief and despair, America has been wrestling with its conscience and trying to decide whether an American’s constitutional right to own a gun is worth so many lives. In Ireland, Savita Halappanavar lost her life because of the Catholic nation’s strict anti – abortion laws. Her death saw them grapple with their faith while reconciling its demands to the needs of its people even as passion boiled over on the lava of grief Savita’s death engendered. But finally, good sense prevailed and laws legalizing abortion when the mother’s life is at risk came into being. In India, the Delhi – bus gang rape has resulted in a torrential outpouring of grief and anger but little else. There have been calls for rapists to be hanged or castrated or castrated and hanged. Demands have been made on the government as well. The populace will not be put off with our leaders clucking over the incident with sympathy or empty promises, they want action and they want it fast with new laws regarding rape, fast – track courts to prevent such cases from languishing in courts for all eternity and more protection for women. In a commendable move, citizens took to the streets to demand justice for the victim. In a not so commendable move, some of the protestors took to violence with the cops responding in kind. At the end of it all, only anarchy seems to reign supreme having beaten good sense into oblivion. Now like a drunkard or a dieter after a night of unrestricted bingeing on booze and forbidden goodies, we are all going to wake up feeling sick to the stomach and in need of a healthy dose of denial to forget the irrefutable fact that we are idiots who deserve the country we live in, the government which rules us, and the monsters we have raised ourselves to give us endless grief. Worse, nameless horror lurks around every corner and the next headline is likely to have our name on it. What does one do when confronted with the unpalatable truth? Why we do what we always have… Get on with our ablutions, skip the boring news section served up by overenthusiastic journalists and go straight to the entertainment or sports section. Then we can obsess about a celeb’s dieting woes or sex life and howl for Sachin’s retirement (and bemoan his loss when we have successfully pressured him into doing just that) and Dhoni’s blood. As for rapists and murderers they will lie low for a while remembering full well that their time will come soon when the nation has gone back to sleep the way it usually does. The original article appeared here

Anusha Parthasarathy of THE HINDU totally Gets Arjuna and me!

Here is what Anusha Parthasarathy of The Hindu says about Arjuna. Truth be told, I nearly wept like a baby and it was not cos it made me sad :)

What, perhaps, sets this book apart from other retellings is the fact that it doesn’t try to get into his shoes. In fact, it detaches itself from its protagonist and analyses his persona as one would a character on the screen or in a book. This helps the reader look at the story objectively, even if the focus is on Arjuna, rather than look at it through his eyes.

In this book, however, one looks not just at the big picture but also at the little details that stoke this fire. What is endearing about Anuja’s storytelling is that it isn’t in chronological order. While there is a seamless flow to the narrative, she goes back and forth, forging connections between events, analysing their intent and clearly explaining what a particular event leads to.

You can read the rest of this awesome review here

Arjuna is a page turner!

Love it or hate it, the consensus seems to be that Arjuna grabs you by the throat and does not let go. In other words, it a big time page turner!

What I liked about the book is that the author does not make any attempt whatsoever to treat Arjuna as divine anywhere despite being his ardent fan. Instead, she focuses on the fact that despite being blessed with divine powers, he was human too. Just like all of us, he had his strengths, and follies. He was arrogant sometimes, humble at other times. Most of the book (Rather all of it) is written against the backdrop of the epic Mahabharata. In fact, one could say that this book is a more concise version of the epic. The narration however, does not take its beauty away. The language and narration used surely makes this one a page turner .

Find the rest of the review here.

Kind words for Arjuna!

This is what Mr. Hemant Kanoria, Chairman and Managing Director, Srei Infrastructure Finance said about Arjuna in an interview for BusinessWorld:

I am currently reading Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince by Anuja Chandramouli. It is a mesmerising tale of a warrior prince, Arjuna, brought to life in a very vivid and endearing way. The book beautifully captures two very strong aspects, first, the trust, love, attachment and affection amongst the five brothers while the second one, is the discipline and willingness to learn, which resulted in Arjuna acquiring skills and expertise from both humans and Gods.

This piece originally appeared here

More reviews for Arjuna!

It is fast read and worth a trip down the memory lane of your favorite epic.

You can find the rest of the review by Poonam Sharma here

Anuradha Goyal had this to say about Arjuna!

A rave review for Arjuna!

Some reviewers make you want to kill yourself, others make you want to take up the near impossible and criminal quest (I think) of tracking them across the nebulous world of the internet sitting them down and forcing them to comprehend that they did not get you or the book at all and make them take back every nasty thing they wrote, ideally not at gunpoint although it is an option. And then there are those who not only get what you set out to do but love you for it and write a glowing review of your work that fills your heart with heady joy that lets you face the world with the goofiest grin plastered across your mug that highlights your pimples making them look less like unsightly blemishes. The high is sufficient to carry you across the next few months barring the not improbable possibility of a wickedly critical review that dismisses your book as utter rubbish and brings you back to earth with a crash that can jar your eyeballs loose and push you into that dark place where you feel the need to scream into your pillow.
Thank you for your patience! FYI insecure authors (I love referring to myself that way!) are given to the occasional bouts of raving and ranting. Now on to the review that made me see double rainbows, butterflies, and chocolate milkshakes wherever I went today!

A Trail of Words...: Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli

"...witty, touching, historical and magical. Every part of Arjuna's life is explained in such a vivid detail as if the author, herself, has witnessed the happenings and came up with this masterpiece" writes Sundeep Naidu of booksreviewwala. He also thanked me for being my grandmother! Read the rest of his review here

Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior – Prince Review by Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay

Anuja Chandramouli has expertly woven in the story of Arjuna’s life in this novel with her crisp language and smooth flow of writing. The chapters were clear and each complete in its own right. It was almost easy to imagine that I was reading a series of short stories relating to the same cast. Yet they connected and complimented each other very well to form a novel that can claim some acclaim.
You can read the rest of the review here

Arjuna is "extremely readable" says Robin Shukla

Arjuna is "extremely readable" says Robin Shukla of the Afternoon Despatch and Courier. You can read the rest of the review and his insights on women in times good and bad here

And just to clarify Mr. Shukla, the sexual incontinence of the sages, seers and the rest of the holier - than - thou types was supposed to be amusing :)

Charming, delectable etc etc.: Priyanka and Leo share their thoughts on Arjuna

Anuja has wrapped the ancient story in a delectable christmas box of fluent writing.

What I liked most – her choice of words and flair in writing. I’m not shy to admit that I learnt quite a number of new words from her. She has written chapters one after another seamlessly. I am much impressed with the form of this book, not the content...

Read the rest of the review by Priyanka Roy Banerjee here

What I like in the book is Anuja’s understanding and passion for the story, as she tells every detail and the reader can’t help but turn the page to find out what more is there for them to read. Be it the childhood games of the Pandavas, or the rivalry between Karna and Arjuna, she tells it with a charm.

Read the rest of the review by Leo aka Vinay here

Reshmy Pillai's review of Arjuna

Anuja’s writing style is good. She has a knack of keeping the readers engrossed... You can read the rest of the review by Reshmy Pillai, here

Reviewer stays up all night with Arjuna!

This reviewer was in bed with a wicket cold and temperature. So she turned to Arjuna for solace and wound up spending the entire night with him! Hopefully she has affected a miraculous recovery. As for me, I should be able to do a couple of months on the strength of this compliment alone :)

You will find Samarpita Mukherjee - Sharma's review here. 

The bitter and the better!

Some more reviews are out for Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince. Posting three links below: One reviewer loved it, one hated it and the third went hmm... Ah well, guess that is the way the cookie crumbles!

The author has done a splendid job in clarifying those doubts of people like me by mentioning almost everything about Arjuna. The book covers every key events of life of not only Arjuna but also of the characters who had influenced his life. If you want to study Arjuna, or lets say Mahabharata in a new and refreshing manner, this book is a must buy. Though not famous as of now, this book will go a long way... Read the rest of it by Supriya Tyagi here

Disappointing... If you really must read the rest here

"the book was difficult to put down once I started on it! And that's saying something," For the rest of the review by Chicky Kadambari, go here

Review of Arjuna on Bookish (IndiaBookStore.net)

This 360-page dedication to Veda Vyasa, truly the finest storyteller ever, is solely a retelling of the tale of Arjuna, the valiant warrior of Hindu mythology, and his role in Mahabharata. Mahabharata is by itself a tale with a magical mix of emotions which renders any reader mesmerized. However, the uniqueness of this book lies in fact that the author retold this tale in a simple, quick and fascinating manner.

Though prior knowledge of Mahabharata partially ruined the reading experience for me, anyone who doesn’t know much about Mahabharata and Arjuna would surely find this very captivating. In the last eight chapters, many times I found myself unfathomably immersed in the proceedings of the book. So much, that when Abhimanyu and Karna died, I literally cried. 

Read the rest of the review by Lakshmikanth Koundinya for IndiaBookStore here.

Arjuna banner on uRead.com and my issues with cameras!

This ad is for uRead.com. Check it out here Nice of them to advertise the book, especially with their 36,625 likes on Facebook :) Am super obliged to those good folks :) :)
My publishers ask me to provide photos for these ads and I wish they would ask for something that is not so notoriously difficult for me to obtain. The thing is I feel the same way about cameras and dogs in that I'd rather not have one staring at me hungrily. And the former in particular is a bitch with its annoying need to expose every trace of every pimple I have ever had since I hit puberty and discovered to my chagrin that a blemish free complexion was definitely not one of my God - given assets! Besides cameras are infamous for making you look fatter than you are with the unhappy result that you lose what little self - esteem you have regarding your looks especially since all your friends seem hellbent on posting unflattering pics of you on fb, twitter, whatsapp and whatever else have you. (Thank goodness for the untag option!)
Such traumatic issues with cameras have been directly responsible for yours truly breaking out into a cold sweat every time my well meaning publishers ask that I provide pics of my mug to help boost sales (I get nightmarish visions of folks tearing out ads with my face and using it to scare away mice, crows or ward away the evil spirits that are likely to give the stink eye to their lovely homes) . I scour through my photo albums and my self - image takes repeated hits that it can ill afford as I try to make peace with the fact that there are thousands of photos in this world which feature me looking fat, constipated, fat and constipated or just plain grotesque.
Anyways, my talented photographer hubby came to the rescue this time when I called him to let loose the crazies and to harangue him on his tendency to take award worthy photos of his children and every creepy crawly that ever lived on this good planet while failing to take a single decent shot of his lovely wife. By way of apology for his glaring omission, he dug up this pic where I don't look entirely horrifying and mailed it to me. In my turn, I dutifully mailed the pic to my publishers. I can breathe now, that is until the next time they ask for a pic and send me scurrying for cover.

ARJUNA review on Vault of Books!

Anuja’s triumphant debut lays out in lavish detail the life of the greatest warrior of the epic Mahabharata times, the pandava prince Arjuna. Fast read, written in a competent prose and the action keeps moving along at a steady clip.
You can read the rest of the review by Sachin Dev, Vault of Books here