His debut novel based on mythological epic Ramayana titled ASURA: Tale Of The Vanquished: The Story Of Ravana And His People that just completed its first anniversary has already established Anand Neelakantan as one of the top writers of India. The book is already among 5 finalists in the Crossword Popular Award. You can visit the site here to vote and don't forget to tweet/ fb/ blog for the same if you really like work by Anand Neelakantan's seriously researched and written from the heart. Asura was unique because for the first time someone has written about Ravana as the main character. On a similar track he researched about Duryodhana - the main villain among Kauravas in Mahabharata who fought and lost against Pandavas. For the first time someone has written about Duryodhana as a lead and positive character. The cover of his second book Ajaya - Epic of Kaurava Clan Book 1 - Roll of the Dice was released recently.
Prelude of this excellent just to be released book (on 1st December 2013) is available here. A big thanks Anand for accepting invitation for the interview and providing us the opportunity to understand more about your first book Asura, the one just to be released Ajaya and your forthcoming work.
How and when did the idea of Asura
evolved in your mind?
Asura
evolved right from my childhood. Systematic research happened 8 years back and
it took 6 years for me to pen it down. I had grown up in a village where
mythology is still a part of life.
At the time of starting writing on
Ravana (Asura), did you have any other options in mind?
I
toyed with the idea of writing from both Rama’s and Ravana’s
point of view to bring a balance, but Lord Rama has so many stories for him.
Ravana too have some fan following. The voice of the ordinary man is always
muted when the stories of big guys are told. Bhadra was born from this thought.
How much research work you did
before/ while writing Asura and then Ajaya?
Almost
six years for Asura, Ajaya is about Mahabharat.
So most sources were same. That made my task easier as I had the
research materials ready.
Asura was an alternative narrative
– was the other character totally imaginative or it had a reality base?
Bhadra
means brother. In some versions of Ramayana, Bhadra is the name of the washer
man who slanders Sita. I took the name from there and created this character.
What make you decide on writing on
mythological epics but showcasing them from other side of the wall, that has
never been done before? Isn’t
it a big risk writing about a loser as a Hero, knowing that these epics are
imbibed in the mind of every Indian right since childhood depicting Winner as
hero and loser as anti-hero?
I
did not think about risk while writing it. I had a story to tell and I only
thought about that. I do not want to change the world or make people believe in
what I believe. I am just a man with a story to tell. Whether the readers
accept my version or the original version is up to them and I do not have any
control over it.
When did the idea of writing Ajaya
incepted in your mind and what all it took to reach to its final destination?
Writing
is pleasure, writing is pain. It took many sleepless nights and mood swings to
reach it. It took pouring over obscure texts and analysing each versions to
accept or reject to write it.
What is the reason of choosing
Duryodhana? Why not Karna or Shakuni for that sake?
Karna,
Shakuni etc play major role in Ajaya too. There are many stories written from
Karna’s angle by many great writers. My
intention is not just to write about the other side. I write because, my
rereading of Mahabharata after my visit to the Duryodhana temple convinced me
that Duryodhana was cheated out of his inheritance and the popular version is
the version of one who won the war.
What are the various meanings of
Duryodhana?
Actual
name of Duryodhana is Suyodhana- the good warrior, the one who uses his arms
for good purpose. Duryodhana can mean-. Evil warrior, the one who uses his arms
for evil purpose or it can also mean, the warrior who cannot be conquered or is
difficult to conquer. Hence the name Ajaya, the one who cannot be conquered.
Since my book is also a counter telling to original Jaya (the real name of
Mahabharata), I have used the name Ajaya to sound like it is antonym of Jaya
(though it is not)
Duryodhana is worshipped and has a
temple established in his name? Where is it and tell us about the community
that worships him.
The
temple is called Malanada Duryodhana temple in Poruvizhy village in South
Central Kerala. In Uttarakhand also, I have heard a few temples dedicated to
Duryodhana there. The temple in Kerala is a famous one and more than a lakh
people assemble for the annual fair. People of all communities worship
Duryodhana here and it is said that he is there to protect anyone who is facing
oppression from his superiors, any one who is facing poverty. He is the God of
downtrodden, irrespective of caste or religion. The priests are not Brahmins
but belong to Kurava, a scheduled tribe community.
Is Ajaya written in a narrative
style like Asura? If not, why?
Asura
was written in first person. Ajaya is not, because Mahabharata has more
characters. I did not want Ajaya to be just another copy of Asura, with
Duryodhana telling his story in place of Ravana.
What are your next plans after
release of Ajaya on December 1, 2013?
Ajaya will be published in two
parts. On Dec 1st, the first part Roll of the dice will be out. On Aug 15th,
2014, Rise of Kali, the second part of Ajaya series will be out. In 2015, I
hope to come up with Amatya, the story of Chanakya’s foe.
A short message for your
readers and fans in your words
I have a small request to my readers.
Without
your support, encouragement and criticism, I would not have had the courage to
come up with another book within an year. Asura is in the crossword popular
award final list of five. The competition is tough, with big names of Industry
like Amish, Aswhin Sanghi, Ravi Subramanian and Anuja Chauhan in the list. I
request all of you to give the vanquished a chance.
And now some generic ones:
Your real name and pen name?
N Anand and Anand Neelakantan
Please share some of the best
memories of your childhood
Hearing
stories again and again from my father and the way he used to answer my
questions. Childhood also is about sultry afternoons under sweet smelling mango
trees, temple ponds and back waters, elephants and festivals, boredom of classes
and exhilaration of cricket matches played in coconut plantations with rubber
balls, monsoon and friendships that still goes on strong.
About your education;
B tech, certified petroleum
manager
What career did you plan during
your education days-
Engineer, dreamt to be a cartoonist
What languages you can speak and
write?
English,
Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Sanskrit to an extent, Kannada to speak
What is your biggest source of
inspiration in life.
My
father, (late) L Neelakantan
What hurts you most in this world?
Poverty
What is the biggest challenge you
have faced? How did you overcome it?
My
father’s death. Books helped me to get over that
and accept the inevitable.
If you had to live a day of your
life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and why?
Yesudas- I have a voice like a
frog that has sore throat. I envy people with great voice and I thing Yesudas
has the most gifted voice on earth.
What is your favorite genre and
why?
Historical
fiction as it helps me to live in another era
What is the purpose of your
writing?
I do not
know, It is like asking what is your
purpose of breathing. I write because I want to to, there is no life for me
without it.
What four top most things you take
care of while writing a book?
I
write as per my thoughts lead me. I do not take care much while writing. I
write as the thoughts come. Later during editing, I check for style, grammar
and whether the words are sounding right if they are read out aloud. I even
write ungrammatically if the words sound right to Indian ears. I read out my
writing aloud and that is how I see whether the rhythm is there in it.
Your dream destination on Earth?
Himalayas
Your origin of birth and other
countries you have visited/ stayed. What best things you liked in these
countries around the globe?
India-
I have not visited many countries except Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand etc for
vacation. These were short visits and I cannot say much about their culture in
such a small time. Only thing I can say is that their streets are much more
cleaner.
Your favorite time of the day?
Dawn and dusk
Your zodiac/ sunsign?
Saggitarius
Your favorite color and why?
Green, in fact we have a resort in
Wayanad which is very green and we have named it Planet Green Resorts, Wayanad,
Kerala
Your favorite book and why?
Mahabharat, there is nothing beyond
it
Your favorite celebrity and why?
Gandhiji, his life is his message
Your favorite food?
Idli
Some quickies: Sun or Moon,
Laughter or Smile, Morning or Evening, Coffee or Tea, Mountain or Sea, Long
Drive or Short Drive, Silence or Conversation.
Sun, Laughter, Evening, Coffee,
Sea, Long drive, Silence
State your signature line/ tagline/
best quote.
Victors
write history
All the best Anand for your current and all upcoming ventures. Keep winning the hearts of your fans and readers and increasing your readership exponentially with every release.
