“Ashok Banker’s Ramayana: A six-volume fictional history”
Posted by Harsh Nevatia on Suite101.com
Banker has weaved drama and intrigue into the narrative of the Ramayana without harming the integrity and sanctity of the original tale.
Ashok Banker last year completed his six volume opus on the Ramayana. The work would not classify as “mythology� because Banker has shown a lot of inventiveness. I guess the correct classification would be “fictional history�.
Banker has created events and relationships to heighten the drama. But these have been done with finesse and integrity. For example he has depicted Kaikeyi’s maid Manthara as being dedicated to Ravana and an enemy within the royal household. Sita fights the demon armies of Khara and Dushana alongside Rama in a bitter battle. There is an epic battle between the two giants Hanuman and Kumbhakaran. To reveal more would be to spoil the fun for those who want to read the books.
But Banker has been true to the characters as portrayed in the several earlier versions of the epic and as enshrined in our collective memory. Also Banker has taken adequate care not to offend the sensibilities of the devotees of Rama who would be among his readers. Perhaps “taken adequate care� is not a correct choice of words. It implies something done with forced will. Banker would inherently be aware of the sanctity of the subject matter and would not desecrate it because it is dear to him more than for any other reason.
This is why authors who write fictional history must share the same cultural background as their subjects otherwise they are bound to step over the line as the London based Jaishree Mishra has allegedly done in her novel on Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. She portrays a fictional love affair between the queen and Robert Ellis, a political agent of the British East India Company, which has been interpreted as sleeping with the enemy, and has hurt sentiments.
Membership full OPEN for The AKB Newsletter and The Epic India Group!
TECHNICAL GLITCHES SORTED OUT. MEMBERSHIP TO BOTH THE GROUP AND THE NEWSLETTER ARE OPEN. JOIN NOW!
UPDATE: I spoke too soon. Barely had I put up this announcement, when I found a pile of applications waiting, not to mention a number of the previous invitees who had accepted my invitations to join. At the moment, I want to keep both groups small and manageable. So I’m going to close membership for the time being. As and when I’m able to cope with the numbers, I’ll re-open membership. If you haven’t received an invite yet, that means you’ll just have to wait until the next time membership opens.
Important: Previous visitors and regular posters to the Readerswrite Page will always get priority, especially those who’ve engaged me in interesting, even challenging, discussions. Those are exactly the kind of people I’d like to have on the Epic India Group in particular. So my request to you is to post now, post often, and keep posting comments on the Readerswrite Page. That way, you will be first in the queue when I re-open membership to both the group and the Newsletter.
Thanks for your support.
Warmest wishes,
Ashok
Some of you regular visitors to this site will have received either one or both of the following emails from me.
This one inviting you to subscribe to The AKB Newsletter:
Hi,
As a reader of my work who’s taken the time to write to me in the past, I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my official newsletter!
The AKB Newsletter is completely non-commercial, of course, and your email will be carefully protected. You can opt out at any time.
If you choose to accept this invitation, you’ll be one of a select few people around the world who will receive exclusive updates and news on my works in progress, across various media.
You’ll also have exclusive first looks and previews of my forthcoming books, past work, be able to read entire novels serialized (some published previously, some never-before published), short stories, novellas, comics, screenplays, and much more!
You’ll also get podcasts and vidcasts created by me personally, and get a glimpse of my work in films, documentaries and songwriting too–perhaps you weren’t even aware that I work in all these media?
In short, you’ll get plenty of material to listen to, watch, and read, all free of cost and with no obligation whatsoever.
Think of it as my way of saying thank-you for being a reader of my work and of keeping in touch with my creations.
Look forward to seeing you on the list soon!
Warmest wishes,
Ashok K. Banker
PS: This is not a discussion group, it’s a read-only newsletter that will come into your inbox periodically. You may also receive a separate invitation to the Epic India Group, which is meant for discussions.
This one inviting you to join The Epic India Group, which in its third, and possibly most controversial avatar, is up and running now!
Hi,
I’d love for you to join my new Epic India Group and join in many informative, exciting and yes, sometimes controversial discussions on Indian epics and culture.
Look forward to seeing you on the Group soon!
Best wishes
Ashok K. Banker
If you’re one of the many who didn’t receive either or one of the above two invitations, that’s probably because I don’t have your email address.
All you have to do is visit the Readerswrite Page.
Follow the simple instructions there: Leave a comment after typing in your real name and the email ID to which you’d like to be subscribed, mentioning which group you’d like to join.
And I’ll send you an invitation asap.
Look forward to seeing you on either or both groups soon!
Ashok
SLAYER OF KAMSA: Book 1 of The Krishna Coriolis will be out next month (October). Written in a pacier style than my Ramayana Series, this short impactful book details the rise to power of the monstrous Kamsa and his brutal campaign to thwart the birth of the prophesied 8th Child. 