Interview in Isahithya- About Ramayana, Asura and more

Anand Neelakantan, one of the many Indians doing the ever conventional job of an engineer’ is ready to join the league of Indian English authors in the most unconventional manner, with his first novel Asura-The tale of the vanquished.

Born and brought up in a medium class family of Cochin, the city famous for its 100 odd temples. This set up was enough to fascinate the ever inquisitive mind of this man to write his first innovation.

Asura-The tale of the vanquished is an enthralling story of victory and defeat, a story which is told innumerable times but never in a manner like this before. It surrounds our very own “Ramayana” in a very unexpected way. It is a version of the evil demon of darkness, whose death is cherished by every Indian, every year, the version of ‘Ravana’, whom the author also calls the “Ravanayana”. This book is extremely fresh and gives a new edge to the Indian literature and mythology. A must read for all!

Here in A special Interview , Anand Neelakantan discussed various things related to his new book , about the story , characters , about Indian Mythology and other interesting things. Read a very interesting conversastion with Anand Neelakantan.

(Interviewed by Chaynika Digwa)

Qus. From being an engineer, to an author, the journey has been long. Who inspired you to be an author?

Anand - Like most persons born in seventies, my career choice was only either becoming a Doctor or an Engineer. I became an Engineer due to peer pressure and not due to any passion. And I continue to work as an Engineer for putting food on the dining table.

My passion always has been on the creative side. I am an avid reader and authors are my heroes. I have been inspired by lots of great writers and master story tellers of all times. I had started with reading great writers of Malayalam literature like S K Pottekad, M T Vasudevan Nair, Basheer, Thakazhi etc and still continue to enjoy their works.

The giants of international literature, both classical and modern and Indian English writers like R K Narayan and later Indian English writers like Rushdie, Rohinton Mistry, Amitav Ghosh etc has inspired me in pursuing my passion.

But, it was the learning of Sanskrit in school and discovery of Bhasa, the greatest story teller who ever lived after Veda Vysa that changed my thinking pattern itself. Bhasa had travelled through paths that modern writers have not even thought about. The Oorubhanga of Bhasa, where the great dramatist portrays Duryodhana as the main protagonist is what made me think about Ravana in another light. ASURA- Tale of the vanquished owes a lot to so many people, but if you ask me what the main inspiration is, I will only point out to Bhasa

Qus - Tell us about your book “Asura Tale of the vanquished”. It is unique in much sense. From its intro and theme it looks very interesting. Is it somehow a graphic novel?

Anand - Asura- Tale of the Vanquished travels in the Asura world of Ramayana. Rama does not even make an appearance until the middle of the book. It deals with the struggles of Ravana and his child hood, how the Asuras were fighting a losing war with the ever expanding Deva Empire and how Ravana raises himself from abject poverty to the emperor of Asuras, smashing the Deva Empire. For these I have used the conventional mythology sources itself, but I have attempted to give it a modern feel and logical reasoning, instead of describing spectacular things like one thousand year tapasya for getting a boon and such things.

However, where I have differed from traditional retelling is in the creation of a fictitious character called Bhadra. He plays an equally important part. He is the voice of common Asura. The story is told as alternating chapters where Ravana tells his story and Bhadra his. Bhadra is a common soldier who lost his family to Deva raid during a Deva Asura war and thirsts for revenge against Devas. He, like many young Asuras sees Ravana as their savior and joins the charismatic young leader to fight against Devas.

With an indomitable will and inspiring leadership Ravana leads Asuras from victory to victory and establishes a grand Asura empire. Common men like Bhadra believe that a better world awaits them under Ravana and blindly follows the leader. However, as the time goes, the poor among Asuras find that nothing much has changed for them under Ravana. Asura is very much the story of great heroes like Ravana and Rama as much as it is that of common and insignificant men like Bhadra.

Other characters like Vidyutjihva, the brother in law of Ravana and the leader of a revolutionary army who leads a rebellion against Ravana promising the common men a world of equality, idealistic ministers like Prahastha who stand steadfast in their ideals, and other stock characters of Ramayana like Mandodari, Soorpanakha, Maricha etc also play their roles.

Where Asura differs is in the perspective. The conventional view is turned upside down from the traditional Ramayana. It is the story of a people who are facing an invasion from an alien kingdom. It deals with the travails and fears of the other side, the side usually branded as demons and villains. Asura is all about seeing the enemy’s view point. Basically it underlines the inherent humanity in all human beings and how the same gets crushed by conventions. It also shows how the victor can write history and how it would differ if the vanquished is given a chance to write it.

Answering your question of whether it is a graphical novel- It is not, though I have tried to describe things as graphically as possible. Whether I have succeeded in engaging the reader is something only the reader can answer. There are six beautiful illustrations done by artist Ashok which again is a deviation from modern novel. Illustrations in Novel went out of fashion except in children’s book some 100 years back. But then Asura is all about being unconventional

Qus. Apart from your birth place, Cochin and the numerable temples which trickled your mind to write this book, what else triggered you to write on such an unconventional mythological character, despite of the thousand conventional characters Indian mythology has? Why Ravana?

Anand - Asura is an attempt to get into the mind of the so called villain of Ramayana. I have heard Ramayana in various versions, told by story tellers of differing caliber and passion. Most of what I heard was oral. Being born in a conservative Brahmin family, the Ramayana I was taught was the sanitized version where characters are all in black and white. This is the story where Rama is the avatar and Ravana, the devil incarnate. Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana that we grew up with played the part of strengthening such beliefs.

However, as I grew up and escaped the conservative environs of my childhood, I came face to face with various other folk renditions of Ramayana. There are more versions of Ramayana than any other story. It will not be an exaggeration to say that every tribe, every language, every era has their own version of Ramayana. They all differ significantly from one another. That is how great stories survive. It is co creation that makes things great. In modern world, it is the social media that co creates and make stories grow, evolve and become popular. In the traditional world, it is such retellings and co creations that make myths survive and grow. This co creation of Ramayana across Asia for the past thousands of years is what has made it the most endearing epic of human kind. Take any Indian language and we can find that the greatest of its writers have used themes from Ramayana or Mahabharatha to create classics in their own language. The epics of India are still growing and evolving. Asura is a small attempt in doing the same in Indian English writing. A time will come, when like other Indian languages, Indian English will also mature to produce writers of caliber who can deal with the complexities of Indian mythology and produce great works in Indian English, for an Indian audience.

I have used the south Indian folk lore of Ramayana in Asura. The story that Sita is the daughter of Ravana is prevalent in many south Indian folk traditions. Once Sita is accepted as the daughter of Ravana, then the whole abduction of Sita takes a different angle. When you add this up with the humiliation faced by Soorpanakha at the hands of Lakshmana, the perspective starts changing. There are innumerable folk songs that deal with the humiliation faced by the Asura princess.

Ravana as a protagonist offers immense possibilities. His life itself is an inspiration, among all the conventional Indian mythological character. Apart from Duryodhana, who is far less complicated, a few characters in Indian Mythology offers so much challenge. Who was Ravana? He is not the run of the mill villain. He is a ruler about whom Rama talks in glowing terms. Rama tells Lakshmana to learn the art of governing from Ravana, when Ravana is in his last moments. There is another folk story where it is told that Rama needed the most scholarly Brahmin priest to conduct a yajna before commencing the war. When he enquires, everyone tells that the most scholarly Brahmin alive is none other than Ravana. Rama sends an invitation to Ravana to come and conduct the Yajna to defeat Ravana. Ravana arrives at Rameshwara and conducts the Yajna and blesses Rama before war for his success. I have not used this story in Asura, but such stories are not told about any other mythological characters. A consummate Veena player, an astrologer, scientist, authority on medicine, musician, artist, warrior, great administrator- I do not think any villain has been portrayed with so many qualities in any story. It is such a villain that Indian folk traditions have been celebrating for the past thousands of years. I think that answers your question of why Ravan sufficiently.

Qus- Tell us about the other characters in “Asura” . How do you characterize Ravana in your epic tale?

Anand - I have not portrayed Ravana as the hero without any flaws. My Ravana is neither devil nor God. He is an ordinary human being, who with a burning ambition and a grand dream decides to live life fully. He has his faults. He is not infallible and does many wrong things. I have not tried to white wash Ravana. I have used the traditional Ramayana, without resorting to super naturals to portray Ravana. So he does not have ten heads and twenty arms and is not a demon who keeps laughing hysterically after every dialogue, like they portray in television serials. He is as human as you and me. He starts with an idealistic vision, but Asura deals with how power corrupts human minds and how the lives of little people are crumbled when great men march towards their destiny.

Bhadra, the other hero, is the representative of any common Indian. Totally amoral, self- centered, naïve, opportunistic, cynical, invisible, insignificant Indian- that sums up my other Hero. He gets swayed by great words of leaders and commits many crimes for them, to be dumped and trampled up on again and again. He rises from each set back with a resilience that will help him survive the spectacular. Bhadra is the victory of mundane over spectacular.

Qus. Even before hitting the stands, “Asura” has made to the ‘Top 10 online ported books’, how does it feel? Do you find your theme controversial?

Anand - For any author, seeing the book in top 10 is a dream and I am living it now. However, the test will be when the book is available in book shops by first week of June 2012 and when the reviews and criticisms will start coming.

Asura is as ancient as a story can be, yet it is as modern as possible. I hope the reader finds parallel with the current situation in India with the society described in Asura. I believe the reader will associate the characters to modern era leaders. I also hope my message resonates with readers instead of me pointing it out. Only then, I will consider the book to have succeeded.

Qus- Ashok Banker, the re- teller of the epics had published his first Re-Ramayana years back. Do you draw any comparisons/ inspiration between/with his writings?

Anand - Ashok Banker and Romesh Menon are two great writers who have effectively retold the epic and created a niche for themselves. It will be ridiculous to compare a debutant author like me with established writers who keep improving with their each rendition.

I am always inspired by successful writers and Banker and Menon are there at the top of my list for inspiration. However, my attempt is not re telling an epic, but to create a counter telling. My intention is to tell a story from the other side. Indian mythology is not subjected to counter telling often, and I am attempting to create a new genre in my own small way.

Qus. Devdutt Pattnaik, known for his extensive work on Indian Mythology draws a relation between mythology with matter s of leadership, banking, etc. Do you also draw any such relations between your book and other arenas of life?

Anand - Indians are great story tellers. Story telling was the most important medium of education for common folks, once upon a time. These stories are practical and can be applied to any situation in life. Panchatantra was created to educate princes to govern. That is the power of a good story told well.

Devadut Pattnaik is the modern Vishnu Sharma. He is training modern corporate executives through stories. He has brought the great Indian story telling tradition from the charpoy put under the village Banyan tree to the air conditioned corporate training halls and corporate rooms. Stories are powerful mediums to drive home business points.

If Asura is as good a story as I think it is, then someday, the excerpts from it will be told again and again and will be used in life. That is every author’s dream.

Qus- Has writing been a childhood passion for you? How did Indian Mythology affected your real life and your writing?

Anand - Story telling has been a child hood passion for me, along with cartooning and oil painting. I have published a few short stories, mostly satirical ones in local Malayalam weeklies. Asura took almost six years to write as I was mostly an undisciplined writer and there were many long gaps when I did not write even a single page. But I keep telling stories to my children, to my colleagues, to my friends and to anyone who is willing to listen. So more than writing, it is story telling that I am passionate about. Regarding mythology, it has always affected every living moment of my life. My family lives and breathes mythology and there are many heated discussions about philosophy and mythology in any family gatherings.

Qus- Do you feel that International recognition is important for a writer? Especially when you are writing on mythological theme, because international recognition directly – indirectly helps you to spread Indian mythology and it strengthen our culture, heritage and tradition. Your Views?

Anand - Any recognition is important for writer. I have been getting mails from some readers saying that they enjoyed my book. The satisfaction and pleasure that gives is reward enough. I take care to answer each and every letter written to me. That is because I crave for recognition like any other writer who dares to put his thoughts on paper and get it published

International recognition is important because that helps us to put the spot light back on Indian culture. Indian stories like Ramayana, Mahabharatha , Katha Saritha Sagara, Panchatantra etc have inspired and contributed to great works of art not only in literature, but also in other art fields like sculpture, painting, music, drama, folk lore and philosophical thoughts across Asia. We have a great tradition of thinking freely and tolerantly and the variety of Indian mythological themes and philosophical thoughts are proof enough for that. In a world that is becoming increasingly intolerant towards the people who differ, the spread of Indian values would act like a balm that would sooth the ruffled nerves. We have thought the world that there are many paths that lead to the truth and all can happily co-exist and prosper. My dream is to see Hollywood films of Benhur mold on Ramayana, Mahabharatha and various Indian stories.

Qus. Which author and book has been your personal favourite and inspires you at the same time?

Anand - Other than Bhasa and Veda Vyasa, I do not have a personal favorite among writers. I love good stories irrespective of the stature of the author. India has so many master story tellers in various languages that it would be unfair to point out one single person as inspiration. The book I am inspired by is always Mahabharatha and Vyasa has claimed it right- There is nothing in the world that is not in it.

Qus. Do you like to write for young age readers? If “Asura” is considered only as a children’s book, how will you react?

Anand - Writing for young readers is the toughest of all writings. I know it by experience as both my children, who are eight and five are tougher to please than my editor. I know only one writer whose writing can be enjoyed at any age- R K Narayan. When I can write like him, so lucidly and simply, I will consider myself a writer. Until then I am just a striver.

My daughter is pressurizing me to write about a funny donkey character called Dimman that I have created and whose adventure my kids enjoy hearing about for the last two years every night. I am yet to gain confidence to write for children. May be, once I finish my second novel on which I am working now, I will dare to attempt the near impossible task of creating a quality children’s novel.

Asura can never be considered as a children’s book. It needs more finesse and requires me to improve further as a writer to create an Asura for children.

Qus- Mythology is the power of Indian Culture, and it should be celebrated in every form. But until now we only relate it to religion. Sometimes writer can heart feelings, some sentiments, so what is the author’s responsibility to tackle this issue related? We are very sensitive related to religion, so how do you see the relationship in future between books/novels and Indian Mythology subject?

Anand - Mythology is the power of Indian Culture – You rightly said it. Religion has used mythology to grow and then hold the society to ransom. We should be proud that we were the most tolerant culture in the world. I said, ‘were’ because the recent developments prove otherwise. We have grown into a society that no longer tolerates anything other than what is narrowly defined by a bunch of self-proclaimed protectors of culture. This is true about all religions including Marxism in India. So great painters get thrown out of the country, booker prize winning authors live in exile, long dead great cartoonists create nightmares for parliamentarians who apologize for 50 year old cartoons, but do not find anything wrong with the corruption that has gripped the country. The farce of ‘ my sentiment is hurt’ is getting played again and again like a broken record. There are so many languages, so many sub cultures and so many castes and sub castes in our great country that, even if one sneezes, we have to be careful now because someone will claim that has hurt his sentiments.

We are not sensitive to religion. If we were sensitive to religion, we would have been much better citizens, much better human beings. If a book can destroy five thousand year old culture and religion, then the religion is not worth preserving. Books will come and books will go, but religion will live on. The threat to any religion is not from any book, but from the narrowing minds of its followers. If three thousand and more varieties of Ramayana has been tolerated and admired by billions of Indians for the past four thousand years, why should another book written by an insignificant author in a language barely understood by two percent of the population and read by less than two percent of that be a threat to a culture that has withstood repeated attacks from ravaging hordes over the millennium.

Until now, in the entire history of mankind, differing views have not killed people. It is the people who have killed people. Stories will be told and re told, notwithstanding the noise created by some fringe groups. Such retelling is common in Indian languages. Remember Michael Madhu Sudhan Dutt, remember M T Vasudevan Nair, remember scores of great writers in various languages who have used Indian mythology to make great works of literature in their own languages. Indian English is coming of age. Baring a few writers, it is yet to reach the heights already reached by other Indian languages like Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Assamese, Gujarathi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil etc as far as literature is concerned. This is an evolutionary process and using mythology for writing is the part and parcel of its growth. Some may be great works of art, some may be pedestrian. But that is how the language grows. We can expect more writers who will use Indian Mythology in Indian English in the future.

Qus- One More thing, how important is for a writer to understand and respect Indian Mythology before he/she is writing about it. May be there are some publishers/writers who are only interested in cashing the interest of people but manipulate the Mythology. Your Suggestions to Young writers who want to write on epic tales, also your advice to readers?

Anand - Indian mythology is such a vast subject and should be approached with caution. It is easy to get lost in the labyrinth that it is. It is a collection of stories made by various story tellers over last four or five thousand years. They are told differently in different sub cultures of our country. My advice would be to stick to what you have heard. Hear more of the oral tradition- the folk songs, the folk tales rather that doing research on internet or library.

Regarding using controversy to sell books, I would only say that Publishing is a serious business. My experience with my editor was that they are more sensitive than me about the possible criticism about hurting the religious sentiments. Only a foolish publisher or an author would try to rake controversy and earn money. That will always backfire. Readers are intelligent and serious people and any book that does not recognize that will fall flat. If any author tries to fool people by just being controversial to sell, and he does not have anything worthwhile to tell, the book will end up where it deserves to be- the dust bin. My editor has used a very sharp knife to cut away any portions that could have possibly ruffled a few feathers.

I do not claim any historical or scriptural authority for my book. I am not a researcher and I do not have much knowledge in scriptures. Besides, mythology is difficult to prove this way or the other. My request to the reader is that, she should see this purely as a work of fiction. She should try to understand that it is Ravana who is telling the story and naturally, he would justify his actions. The book can never be used as an authority. It is just an addition to the thousands of books on Ramayana and should be considered only as another folk tale. The story is just an attempt to in counter telling of a great epic- a child of the thought-‘ Why it could not have happened like this?”. Nothing less, nothing more.

Qus . Asura, what is next for us?

Anand - I am working on Mahabharatha, from the Kaurava’s perspective. Then there are so many stories in my great country and my culture that I can keep telling them till I am tired- or the reader is tired of me and migrates to better writers

Thank You Asura- Tale of The Vanquished