Ajaya by Anand Neelakantan

The first book of the series Ajaya

• Epic of The Kaurava Clan is a retelling of the story of the great epic Mahabharata. The epic itself is built on an exciting plot that has interesting sub plots and leaves much opportunity for research and introspection. In this series, the author, Anand Neelkanthan uses the tool of subversion for his new perspective.
• Here, the Kauravas become the protagonists and the story is told from their point of view. Duryodhan is named as Suyodhan. Here, the values of the Pandavas are questioned here as they believe in a religion, based on a class-caste nexus.
• On the other hand, Suyodhan has a liberal mindset and believes in equality. Characters like Eklavya, a deprived lower caste boy and Karna, son of a charioteer, are given new voice and energy to establish their identity. They want an end to insults and deprivations due to birth history, in spite of having great skills.

ABOUT AUTHOR

A dexterous writer and a cartoonist, Anand Neelkanthan started his career in writing with Asura: Tale of The Vanquished. His books have had big hits in the market and he has been named as one of the most popular writers in India. Being brought up in a place full of temples and classical artists, Neelkanthan was interested in epics and myths from his childhood. Instead of blindly following the myths, he has created a new genre, of remaking and retelling, questioning and arguing. That is why he has become favourite to modern readers.