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| Utkarsh Patel |
Read
up, the Interview with Utkarsh Patel, author
of 'Satyavati'. The book was was a brilliant telling of a very important part of the Mahabharata, sometimes forgotten. It held
its own, throughout the story. In this Interview, he tells us how Satyavati's characterisation came about, what the kind of research was put
into this book, what the challenges were that went into its writing and what book is coming from him next, Folks...
Could you describe the journey of ‘Satyavati’? How did it begin? What
kind of research was put into it?
This subject came up during a
discussion with my publisher, who wanted something different as a story idea.
Characters like Amba, Kunti, Draupadi, etc. have been written time and again.
As part of my
earlier research, I had realised that there was much more to certain
characters, than what popular depictions have shown. Satyavati was one of them.
There was more to
her personality than just a helpless widow for a major part of her life.
Why did you
choose Satyavati, exactly?
In mythology, women are either a
damsel-in-distress or temptresses and seductresses. They were either the chaste
Sati-Savitri or a vamp or benign mothers and wives.
A woman can be a
combination of both good and evil, just as any other character. Every
individual comprises of varying shades of grey and Satyavati epitomised this
aspect of womanhood. She was someone who had hatred and love in her heart. She
errs but she still rises above the rest. Hers was a story waiting to be told,
and I hope I have been able to do so!
Could you describe the journey? How does it feel,
now that you are plugging the holes in the Mahabharata?
Mahabharata
is an enigma for me. It never ceases to surprise me or show me something new,
every time I take it up, which is quite often. As a
child, I was told, that Mahabharata should never be read inside the house, but
there is so much in it which every household needs to know and learn from.
Typically,
Mahabharata is a story about heroes, their struggles, sacrifices and victory. But we often forget that these heroes owed a lot to a
number of women both directly as well as indirectly. Some were heroes because
of them, some thanks to them. I want to tell the stories of these women, who
have made some contribution to the epic and the society, but have been lost in
time, in the male-melee!
‘Shakuntala’ and now, ‘Satyavati’, your books came
out along with a number of mythological novels. What according to you is
different about them?
Well, I
can’t quite compare mine with the others as that is what the readers will have
to do, however, I can mention what I do when I write. First,
I try to stick to the original story as much as I can. This is not to say, that
there aren’t deviations, but the original thread is the same.
Second, I try to interpret the fantastic elements. I try to demystify
some of the mythical aspects to make the story more meaningful.
Third, I often cite references, which enables a reader to verify and
also provide a reading list for further reading. Finally, my genre is
mytho-fiction and not history!
How
would you relate the lives of Satyavati to the lives today? Any similarities?
One of
the main reasons of retelling these stories is that there are often too many
similarities of such characters and instances with modern times. What Satyavati
had to go through, is often what many women have to go through, submit
themselves to the power of certain men.
We see people taking advantages of their powerful positions and violate
women and are often forced to keep quiet. In certain segments of the societies,
women are married off to men old enough to be their fathers. How much has the
society changed? Except for a small percentage and in cities, do women really
have the choice to choose?
How
would you relate the book and its characters, besides Satyavati’s, to the lives
today?
Just as I
mentioned above, many of the characters can be identified. People like Sage Parashar and King Shantanu exist in our
society even today.
While we might not find too many of Bhishma, but many of the characters
in the novel are identifiable.
Which is your
favourite character besides Satyavati? Why?
Well, can’t think of anybody from “Satyavati” (as
in the novel), but from the epic Mahabharata of course, I have many.
Shakuntala is definitely my favourite which, of
course made me write my first novel (Shakuntala – The Woman Wronged) followed
by Satyavati of course. Amongst others, I like the
character of Vidur and Shakuni!
What was the
most challenging part about writing this book?
I think the most challenging
part of writing this book, was to separate me from the character. Sometimes, I
tend to get too carried away with the character and the ills heaped on her,
that I tend to become her mouthpiece.
When you are retelling stories from epics, it is important to maintain a level of integrity with the
epic, without missing on the nuances which have been lost in time.
What are the most fulfilling parts, now that you
have managed to
write this book?
I am
happy with the way it has turned out. I am happy
that I have managed to maintain a balance in the personalities while making
them human and believable.
I am also glad that I have managed to give a voice to the character,
whose voice, as it would have been, was lost for a long time. Critics have
liked it and so have the readers.
A reader wrote to me, ‘this is exactly how I would have felt and acted,
if I was in her place!’ – Such comments make my day!
What book is coming from you, next?
I have just finished a manuscript which is
awaiting publication sometime end of this year.
It is the retelling of a Tamil epic from the Sangam
literature, called ‘Shilapadikarm’, a hugely popular epic down South, but hardly
known in the other parts of the country. I am also working on some smaller
novellas, like ‘Satyavati’.
