Bestselling author Anand Neelakanthan on his latest ‘Rise of Kali’ & why Duryodhana fascinates him

Bestselling author Anand Neelakanthan on his latest Rise of Kali and why he fancies anatagonists like Ravana & Duryodhana

Best-selling author Anand Neelakanthan yet again questions the age-old notions in Indian mythology in his latest, ‘Rise of Kali: Duryodhana’s Mahabharata’, which was released recently by actors Nagarjuna and Amala.

‘Rise of Kali’ is the second and concluding part of Ajaya series, which tells the Mahabharat from Duryodhana’s perspective. Just like his previous two books, ‘Asura’ and ‘Ajaya: Roll of the Dice’ (Series 1), the second part ‘Rise of Kali’ has hit the best-seller charts from the day of its release and is at number three as of now. In all the three books, his story-telling presents a counterpoint to the concept of villainy in mythology.

Ask him about his fascination for Duryodhana, Anand says he has always been fascinated by the antagonists in Indian epics. “The ideals of the protagonists are difficult to achieve. The antagonists like Ravana or Duryodhana have a raw appeal that makes them flawed, but humans are relatable,” he reasons.

But has his story-telling ever angered traditionalists? “There have been criticisms, but no uproar as of now. Our tradition has the greatness to accept all view points,” says the Kerala-born writer. Anand’s first book ‘Asura: The Tale of the Vanquished’ that released in 2012, was a runaway best-seller. His second book ‘Ajaya’ was the Mahabharata written from the perspective of Kauravas, the epic’s villains.

Like any writer, Anand reads a lot as a part of his research for the novels. His house boasts of a “decent” library and e-book collections and Anand also talks to many folk artistes and people who are familiar with oral versions of ‘Puranas‘. Internet, he says, has also become a good source, though is not very reliable.

Epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana shaped his childhood. Even now, he says, myths are a part of his life. “I think this is true about any child growing up in rural India, across all regions and languages. Unlike the cities, the Puranas and Ithihasas are a part of life in the village.”

At a time when mythological books are being conceived as money spinners with more and more writers taking to mythology, Anand feels otherwise. He says books sell depending on how much the readers like the book, how it entertains and enlightens them. Anand adds that since Indian English authors have now started writing for Indian readers rather than for a foreign award, which invariably needs some exotica about Indian land, there are more English books now from India rooted in Indian traditions. “I do not think all mythological books spin out money,” says Anand, an executive with the Indian Oil Corporation.

His next is a fantasy fiction- ‘Devayani’ for young adults. “My daughter Ananya, aged 12, is a great fan of Hunger Games, Harry Potter etc. and thinks Indian mythology is boring. My next story is an attempt to see whether we can have an Indian fantasy story set in our Puranic world of Devas and Asuras,” he informs. Anand is currently into writing episodic stories for Star TV’s upcoming serial- ‘Maryada Purushottam Siya Ke Ram’. The serial is expected to be on air in October this year.

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