Author Interview : Manini J Anandani, author of ‘Mandodari J Anandani' (Part 1)

Read up, Interview with Manini J Anandani, author of ‘Mandodari : Queen of Lanka' (Part 1). 'My fascination for Ravana has been there for me for a long time. I always wondered how and where I would find the answers.' These were my first words, when I wrote a review for 'Asura : Tale of the Vanquished'. 

And now, I get to write something about Mandodari! It helped my fascination go up, all the more. It helped my imagination, that it took on a form of his wife! Mandodari had an unlimited captivation for me and now, it seems kind of satisfied.

So, in this Interview with the author, I asked her about the research that has gone into the book, and how her book was different from anyone else's, and how she thinks she could relate Mandodari's life to lives, today. There is more to this Interview, which you can read about in the next part, Folks...

How did ‘Mandodari : Queen of Lanka’ happen? What is the research that has gone into it?

‘Mandodari: Queen of Lanka’ is an amalgamation of different versions of Ramayana. When I had started researching, I began with the mainstream versions of Ramayana and then switched to the lesser known versions, which to my surprise had some contrasting variations to the mainstream one. 

So, it took me more than two years of research to confront one of the most known epic stories in the world.

I am sure; you have probably taken inspiration from a few other books? Is there any particular one, you were most fascinated by and why?

Not a particular book, but I have taken inspiration from a few research papers.

How do you think your book, ‘Mandodari : Queen of Lanka’ is different from everyone else's?

We don’t come across enough titles that narrate Ramayana from a woman’s perspective.  There are so many stories glorifying Rama that they often overshadow even Sita’s character.

Mandodari is the wife of antagonistic Ravana but there is no prominence given to her voice. The other side of the story is barely discussed and I wanted to bring that out in my retelling. I came across Chandrabati’s version of Ramayana (12^th century, Bengal) that narrates the epic from a woman’s perspective and it starts with the story of Sita’s miraculous birth.

Similarly in my story, for Mandodari, her husband was the only man she loved and her narrative can justify that Ravana was a tragic hero. So, I feel what makes my book different is that at the end it may compel the reader to rethink it all and outline his own pragmatic view about the epic.

How would you relate the life of Mandodari to the lives today? Any similarities?

I can relate to the kind of marriage that Mandodari had with Ravana. Ravana may be portrayed as a dominating husband or a philanderer, but Mandodari takes control of many situations, especially in my retelling.

Similarly in any marriage today, I feel each one of the two in a matrimony have a role to play. Submissive in one situation may be dominating in other.

You can Read the Review and Buy the Book, here as well.