Retelling the Mahabharata

You know an author takes his craft seriously when he opens his book with an invocation — much like an original — and then goes on to write a kshamapana and an introduction in wonderful poetry, all in a modern retelling of an ancient tale that has far outlived time.
The Forest of Stories is the first in a series of 18 books, retelling the ancient tale of the Mahabharata. The author, Ashok K Banker, spoke to us in an exhilarating chat that was more informative and casual as barriers broke and experiences were shared. Here are some bits of the conversation we couldn’t afford to keep from you...

The Ramayana was a narrative praised for its simplicity and you took more liberties in its retelling. Was the Mahabharata different?
The Mahabharata was like a chest of gems, not necessarily woven into a well-crafted piece of jewellery, unlike the Ramayana, which was ready and just had to be retold. However these gems hold each other through a fine thread of narrative that is fragile and yet extremely strong — that’s the beauty of the Mahabharata, the reason why generation after generation consider it the more refined masterpiece. The magic is in the telling and my attempt at retelling this book helped me discover that magic in the subtleties and details.

The energy and passion in which these tales are retold make us wonder where you find the drive for it…
I was born in a Christian family and wasn’t exposed to Indian tales and mythology for the longest period of time. It was only when I was around nine years old that my love for all things Indian began. This new found passion, with a yearning to discover and accept my roots, led me to internalise these stories as my own. The details baffled me and always kept my interests assured. Unlike many of my Hindu friends, I didn’t need to rebel against these tales as a symbol of changing times — I was put in a situation, where I could look at them unbiased and experience and enjoy their intricacies.

The Mahabharata is often called one of the most complex stories ever to be told, do you agree?
I completely do. The epic is a tale that tells you so much in so little time. Successive retellings have chosen to ignore and overlook some of the smaller tales, but I have chosen to be inspired by them and re-look and at times, even reintroduce these characters to the general public. The original is filled with so many characters that continue to inspire us even today, so I often feel, my retelling allows you to connect with these smaller characters more consciously.

Having read the book, we’re amazed at the simplicity in the narrative…
To me the Mahabharata is ultimately a story and I have ensured that the tale is told. This was my attempt at reclaiming the world’s greatest epic as a great story. A story. Not a religious polemic. Not a historical document. Not an itihasa. I wanted people to be able to connect with the Mahabharata like they never have before and I hope I have succeeded in doing that.

We couldn’t help but notice the cover-art. It seems unlike any of your other books, warmer perhaps?
The other book covers were designed by the publishers. This time, they asked me to join in the ideation and I brought in designer Ermisenda Alvarez and Illustrator Quique Alcatena. I wanted the cover to be a drawing, to remind me and the reader of our first exposure to Indian mythology — and the drawing evokes those memories.

The Mahabharata is an inspiration to many of its readers, which characters spoke to you the most in the process of the retelling?
I was especially moved by the tales of Duryodhana, Eklavya and Krishna Draupadi. Draupadi, whose actual name is Krishna, daughter of Draupad, just stands out as the heroine of the epic. To go through such violence and still stand strong as an individual woman, takes a lot of guts and I admire her for her balls. Excuse the language, but nothing else could aptly put across her zeal, bravery and strength as a human being. She’s amazing.

Did you also refer to other versions, excluding Ved Vyas’s Sanskrit original?
No, I didn’t feel the need to incorporate other tales and versions as the Mahabharata in Sanskrit is wonderful on its own. Yes, I did research into a few of the Bhil and Gond retellings, but that was just for more ambient research. People keep saying Sanskrit is a dead language, it is not — it is alive in each of us, in these tales that we’ve carried through generations and still venerate and appreciate.

You would have come across several retellings of the Mahabharata; did any of them manage to inspire you?
Not really. The most popular was the television version that we all grew up to. I hated it and thought it was badly done. The Mahabharata is in all of us, and I am surprised so many people were inspired by that version. I was only inspired by the original and as I keep saying — this is just a retelling in my voice, not a version. This is her-story, his-story, your-story and our-story, who am I to reclaim it for a retelling?

Lastly, when are the next few books in the series out?
I have written upto book 15, out of the 18 and most of them have already been given to the publishers. When Westland asked me when they wanted me to publish the next in the series, I promptly said ‘tomorrow’ — but, yes, they will be out sooner than you know.