By Manik Gupta
Nainital, Oct 30 (PTI) Ravan was a "genius with remarkable scholarly and artistic abilities", alongside anger management and ego issues, bestselling author Amish said, arguing that India's traditional understanding of the mythological king was far more nuanced than the modern-day portrayal of him.
Speaking at the 11th edition of the Himalayan Echoes Festival here, the renowned mythologist highlighted Ravan's contributions to music and literature, citing his invention of instruments such as the 'Rudra Veena' and 'Ravan Hattha', still played in Rajasthan, besides the 'Shiva Tandava Stotra', a celebrated hymn dedicated to Lord Shiva.
"Ravan was a genius, a master of the Vedas who invented musical instruments such as the Rudra Veena, which was perhaps the best stringed instrument ever invented and really horribly complex to play. Very few people could play it.
"He also composed hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. Our ancestors recognised his extraordinary abilities, but they also knew he had huge anger management and ego issues," Amish told a packed audience against the backdrop of the majestic Deopatta range at the historic Abbotsford estate.
Advocating a more nuanced understanding of the mythological king, the 52-year-old author said modern interpretations, influenced by Western thought, often reduce complex characters to binaries of good and evil.
He argued that Ravan's story offered lessons beyond the conventional portrayal of good versus evil, adding that unchecked pride could ultimately prove destructive.
"If you control your ego, you are not doing others a favour. You are doing yourself a favour," he said.
Referring to Bisrakh, a village in Greater Noida, believed to be Ravan's birthplace, Amish also challenged popular perceptions associating the mythological king with Tamil Nadu.
"He was actually born close to Delhi, in Bisrakh, close to Noida. So he was essentially a Delhi Brahmin boy, hence the anger management issues," said the author of "Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta", the third book in his popular 'Ram Chandra' series, in a lighter vein.
Turning to Mandodari, Ravan's wife, Amish described her as a fascinating character caught between her love for her husband and her strong moral convictions.
"She has a very clear moral sense of right and wrong. But what happens if you genuinely love someone who actually turns out to be a monster?" he said, reflecting on the dilemma of a woman who believes in dharma and tradition but cannot ignore her husband's wrongdoing.
In many versions of the Ramayana, Mandodari directly confronted Ravan over his actions, Amish said, adding that she chose to remain by his side because of her belief in her marital responsibilities.
He also spoke about her relationship with their son, Meghnad, describing her as a mother deeply proud of a son who stood by his father's honour even when he disagreed with his actions.
"What goes through the heart of a mother when the son, the pride of her life, dies? He is killed with honour, but he dies brutally. What goes through the heart of a mother like this?" Amish said, explaining how he explored Mandodari's emotional turmoil in his book "The End of the War of Lanka".
When asked why, despite several reported collaborations making news over the years, his popular mythological books are yet to see cinematic adaptations, Amish, whose works have sold over eight million copies, said the biggest hurdle was the enormous budgets involved.
His popular works include the 'Shiva Trilogy' and the 'Ram Chandra' series, both of which he said would require multiple big-budget films.
"The challenge with my older books is the budget required. The Shiva Trilogy will need three or four films, while the Ram Chandra series will need many more. Each film would require a huge budget," he told PTI.
However, he expressed optimism that as India "grows richer", such ambitious projects would become financially viable, citing the upcoming "Ramayana", produced by Namit Malhotra and directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
"I know them and I think they are trying their best. They are doing it with a clean heart. Let us see how it does. It is possible, it will happen, it is a matter of time," he added.
Amish concluded that he would rather wait for the right film adaptation than risk a poorly made movie damaging a bestselling book, saying books continue to find readers and sell over time, unlike films.
The two-day boutique literature festival, "Himalayan Echoes", focused on both literature and nature, features an eclectic list of speakers including the likes of Bhutanese novelist Chador Wangmo, Swiss author Benjamin Viatte, environmentalist and author Mridula Ramesh, and mythologist Sunita Pant Bansal.
The festival will come to a close on Saturday.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)