Navaratri 2023: The art of (re)telling epics for modern times

Indian authors are now writing the mythology genre from different points of view, and often giving a new twist to the stories. (Image from Indian Myth and Legend, 1913 via Wikimedia Commons)

There is a story about Anant Pai which is now legendary. He was watching a children’s quiz show on television where some of the participants could not answer basic questions pertaining to the Ramayana. It bothered him enough to eventually launch a mythological comic series along with India Book House in 1967. That was the beginning of Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) - ACK has probably retold stories from every Indian epic, in an attractive format of panels and beauteous illustrations.

Children from the 1970s onwards have largely relied on ACK and Uncle Pai - as he is known - for mythological stories. Most readers have probably been more impacted by its illustrated panels than pages of text. Who can forget the panel of Karna relinquishing the armour and earrings which provided the protection of his father, the Sun God, saying, ‘Never let it be said that Karna refused anyone anything’?

There is a 'living force' in these stories. While writing, I felt that I was talking to people about things we all knew, but on which there were as many opinions as there were listeners.

Speaking Tiger; 248 pages.

Reena Puri, ACK’s executive editor, explains, “We try and keep up with each generation without losing sight of our founder's vision. Mr Pai's vision was to bring the stories of India to the children of India. That is our primary goal.”

Madhavi S. Mahadevan, who has written about Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, in The Kaunteyas and about Bheema’s wife Hidimbi in The Forgotten Wife, says, “Despite being part of a tradition, the stories are adaptable and this very quality about them represents a basic Indian approach, that there could be no monopoly on the truth.” (Full disclosure: Madhavi S. Mahadevan also contributes reviews and articles on books in Moneycontrol Features)

Mahadevan adds there is “a living force” in these stories. “While writing, I felt that I was talking to people about things we all knew, but on which there were as many opinions as there were listeners. In a way, I was examining some of these different opinions. It sounds discordant, but in fact it felt like the very opposite. I enjoyed the writing process as it gave me insights that I would not have got otherwise."

Tara Books, 152 pages

Author Samhita Arni wrote and illustrated Mahabharatha – A Child’s View in 1996 at the age of 11. The three-book series was critically acclaimed. Later, as an adult, she wrote the award-winning graphic novel Sita’s Ramayana from the viewpoint of Sita. She believes, “People have a great desire to retell, and to listen again to these stories.”

Probably the biggest challenge authors face in this genre is to find their voice. “I think over time there's a lot of cultural conditioning and messaging that has been incorporated into the telling of the stories, but those need not be intrinsic to the way the stories are told,” Arni says. “The challenge is to find that space where the story resonates with your own truth or lived experience.”

For Mahadevan, the biggest challenge was the barrier in her thinking that the stories are old. Overcoming that mindset helped her. “There are many ways of telling a story and they depend on who is telling it and to what kind of audience.”

HarperCollins India, 415 pages

Several Indian authors are now writing the genre from different points of view, and often giving a new twist to the stories. Some have even created their own ‘realms’ quite like Marvel or Lord of the Rings. In 2010, author Amish published the first of the Shiva Trilogy titled The Immortals of Meluha. He created the land of Meluha where Shiva arrives much to the delight of the locals who believe he is their savior Neelkanth.

Amish's ongoing series is based on Rama, whom he describes as ‘The Scion of Ikshvaku’. The parallel, multilinear narratives in his books are unique in their approach to the epic.

HarperCollins India; 496 pages

Author Ashwin Sanghi manages to combine the thriller genre with mythology. He believes his books, be it Krishna’s Key or Chanakya’s Chant, give alternate explanations for stories from mythology. Most take creative licences in an effort to make the stories contemporary and relevant. For instance, the protagonist in Krishna’s Key is a rich boy who grows up believing he is the final avatar but is a serial killer.

Mahadevan’s Hidimbi on learning of the conditions to marry Bheema – for one year only and if a child is born, the Pandavas could summon him anytime to fight for them, asks what if the child is a girl? Such insights resonate with today’s readers.

“With each generation the emphasis shifts to new thoughts, new goals and ambitions, new concerns and new sensitivities,” Puri says. “Keeping these in mind, and also working out ourselves what would be a necessary story or piece of information for the children of different generations, we decide on our titles.”

How can mythology remain relevant? Mahadevan cites the readers’ continued interest in mythological stories which hasn't waned “as predicted by some, but only grown" as the biggest and most significant trend resulting in alternate visions, feminist slants and futuristic and speculative fiction. Arni believes more books are now featuring female perspectives. “I've noticed that as a trend.”

“But mythology will be more inclusive,” Puri notes. Where once in the past, ACK was criticized for its caste-based colourisms and fewer representations of women, today Puri has focused on female figures in mythology and held back inappropriate stories. “We would like to bring in more interpretations of the epics by different authors from various parts of our country. “As I told you, with every generation the primary focus will shift, but without losing sight of our goal.”

And just like that, mythology will continue to fascinate authors to retell its age-old stories in their own way.