CHENNAI: A fter bestsellers Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince, Kamadeva: the God of Desire and Shakti: The Divine Feminine, author Anuja Chandramoulli is back with her fourth mythological fiction book in just six years — Yama’s Lieutenant. The author, who loves Arjuna and has a massive soft corner for Krishna as well, gets talking to City Express about her world among myths and the making of her fourth book. Here are a few excerpts from the conversation…
Bonding with the figures
I wanted to try my hand at something different after three mythological novels. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and I thought it would be fun to try incorporate elements from mythology and horror…and Yama’s Lieutenant was born. When it comes to characters, I go for the ones who intrigue or challenge me at any level. Arjuna is the great love of my life. Kama and Yama captured my fancy. Shakti was an enigmatic puzzle I was powerfully drawn to. Ultimately it was perhaps the characters who choose me.
Magic in myths
The myths are very real to me though the very nature of their reality keeps changing. Sometimes it’s charming fiction and at times it is glorious fantasy. The only constant is that for me, myths are always magical. Plus, myths are always relevant because they are a treasure trove of ancient wisdom and knowledge and they are entertaining as hell.
Baby steps to literature
My dad encouraged the reading habit in me. He would take us to these awesome little bookshops and allow us to choose a book each. I always chose for everybody in the family and they were pretty indulgent because they all knew that I am insane about books. My first piece of writing was when I was in class four. It was about three sisters and a ridiculous test they underwent when a prospective groom came calling. I really hoped then that it would be published in Tinkle. It wasn’t. The first tale I heard was in my grandmother’s lap. She narrated the most amazing tales. Those are among the earliest and most beautiful moments of my life.
Research and Criticism
The Yama thread is pretty well researched, but a lot of it was interpreted my way. It is fascinating to sift through Puranic lore and unearth precious nuggets. There are those who feel it is sacrilegious to distort ancient myths, but most of my readers have been very appreciative. Nowadays, people are more open to out-of-the-box ideas.
Mythological mirror
I see a reflection of myself in Shakti. There are so many contrasting elements and facets to her extremely complicated personality, which is why I think most women will be able to identify with her. The characters in Yama’s Lieutenant were very challenging to create because they had to be mined from my imagination.
(The 361-paged book is available on Amazon priced at `399)