Anthology of mythology
Anand Neelakantan may or may not be writing only for the millennial, but the author of the hugely successful books like Asura: Tale of the Vanquished and Ajaya: Roll of the Dice certainly believes there are rules of writing mythology. On his part, he has consciously given space to the subaltern voices from the mythological past and turned long-cherished tales on their head by offering the point of view of the vanquished rather than the victors.
Whoever may be his hero, Rama or Ravana, Arjuna or Duryodhana, mythology, he is adamant, “has to be written visually”.
Calling himself a storyteller first and foremost, he couldn’t care less about the syntax and grammar of Queen’s English. “For, stories are language-neutral and that is why our epics have survived for so long.”
“Sadly,” he says, “critics do not realise this and continue to pay more heed to command/felicity over language rather than the power of storytelling, which has inherently fuelled our great tradition.” The most fascinating aspect of mythology, according to him, is how one can draw parallels with modern-day life. And the biggest challenge he faces while delving into its many layers is how to deal with outdated notions like the ‘sati savitri’ image of woman, totally redundant in today’s time. Or perhaps not, for even though the Gangetic belt considers Sita as a coy and demure woman, he views her as a single mother who empowered her sons enough to take on their father’s army. “What could be a better example of a strong woman?” he quizzes.
It is the possibility of bringing alive many versions of the rich heritage, which, he observes, is why books
on mythology trump television content. Though closely associated with the world of television as a screenplay writer — his books will be adapted on screen too — he feels television soaps are “unidimensional and can’t do
justice to our religious tradition, which is not in the least dogmatic or singular. It might be tied to dharma, which may reign supreme too. But even that is open to reinterpretation as Bhishma Pitamah says in the Mahabharata — the secret of dharma lies hidden in a cave”.
Writing on mythology in today’s volatile times may appear fraught with certain tension, if not outright fear of certain forces, but Neelakantan is not afraid of any pressures from any kind of pressure groups, “nor do I write to provoke”.
He agrees that the space of mythology writers is a bit too crowded. And his sterling piece of advice to all those desirous of venturing into the realm is rather cryptic: don’t read from Google and write about mythology; experience and plumb deep before telling the tale to others. Just as he has since he turned five.
In Hinduism, though there may be no commandments, even the “Bhagvad Gita is a discourse”, a writing code for mythology certainly exists in Neelakantan’s diary. And one thing he promised himself long ago, in quite an antithesis to the oral tradition, was not to write poetically or lyrically. But engagingly, for sure. — Nonika Singh
