Mandu: The Romance of Roopmati and Baz Bahadur written by Malathi Ramachandran takes you to 16th century India.
It is inspired by the young Sultan Baz Bahadur and the beautiful Roopmati, who are attracted to each other through their common love for classical music. Here was a man who could have had any woman but falls in love with a woman, who is too proud to be part of anybody’s harem.
Night after night, they sing together in the enchanted world of Mandu—a fortress city lit with lanterns, where the drum beats spin a magic all of their own. Meanwhile, far away in the dusty plains of Agra, Mughal Emperor Akbar is planning his campaign. Mandu has been pinned on the map of Hindustan as a place to be captured. What will happen next? Is Baz capable of protecting his capital? Can he protect the woman he loves?
Unfortunately, the romance of a Muslim prince with a Hindu girl is doomed to failure. Initially, the disdainful Roopmati is devoted only to her music but as time passes, she falls in love with the handsome Baz Bahadur. When Adham Khan marches on the Mandu Fort, Baz Bahadur meets him with his small force. Obviously Baz Bahadur faces defeat. And Roopmati poisons herself. Thus ends a magical love story which is laced with music, poetry, romance, war and ultimately death. To some, the romance is a legend whilst to others it too good to be true.
Of course, the novel is anchored in documented historical events: there was an attack on Malwa by Mughal Emperor Akbar’s general Adham Khan which led to the fall of the kingdom of Mandu in 1561. The valiant music-loving warrior with his small army is no match for the might of the great Mughal army. Mandu falls easily. Baz Bahadur flees to Chittor seeking help. In Mandu, Adham Khan is stunned by the Roopmati’s beauty, who stoically embraces her end, avoiding capture. It is curtain time for the love story.
Ramachandran’s weave is a delicate tapestry, which includes in the narrative the intrigues of Baz Bahadur’s mother-in-law Jana Begum. It makes for multi-dimensional characters. Pursued by nightmares, Baz Bahadur in his fitful sleep, dreams of fratricide that he had committed to ascend the throne. But his love for music and passion for Roopmati make him like us: you and I. While in reality, it does result in a wilful neglect of his army and administration. A well-written tale of an age-old romance.