NEW DELHI: “I’ve always been fascinated by history. There’s always a central theme. There’s something for and there’s something against. Towards the end, everything comes together in a finale, which could be tragic or a happy solution,” said author-journalist Ravi Shankar here.Shankar was speaking at the launch of his fifth novel, The Brahmin, recently.“So when I started writing The Brahmin, the primary aspect of the story telling, which is the battle between good and evil and ultimately, the good is supposed to win. But there’s always a sacrifice, which is demanded from the good to win and that is a basic provision,” he continued.
“And suddenly there’s a character you need who is powerful and strong, and besides that you need a side kick who is sexy, female assassin. I wanted a villain, so I thought of a very slimy guy called Lord Surma. So between them, I spun the story. … I decided how do I make the protagonist, the chief character of the book so mysterious? I decided, let me not give him a name, let me just call him the Brahmin.”
The novel is set in 267 BC in Ashoka’s empire and revolves around the spymaster of Magadha kingdom, enigmatically named Brahmin, who is on a quest to unlock the murder mystery that has shocked the concubines' quarter at the emperor's palace in Pataliputra. The book launch was marked by a colourful performance of Kalariapayattu – a traditional martial art form which originated in Kerala – by Kalari artistes. It was organised to demonstrate the martial art, which is a central theme in the book.
At the event was an installation of Brahma Vishnu Mahesh (Elephanta Caves, 9-13 Century) that represents the three aspects of Lord Shiva’s essence and binds the narrative of the novel with ancient truth.
President of the Fashion Design Council of India Sunil Sethi, Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director of The New Indian Express, renowned artists Paresh Maity and Jayshree Burman were among those who attended the event.
Shankar published his first book of short stories, The Scream of the Dragonflies, in 1996. His first novel, The Tiger by the River, came in 2002. His second novel, The Village of Widows, appeared in 2003, followed by The Gold of Their Regrets (2009) and The Book of Shiva (2016).