Amish Tripathi’s Raavan – his Darkest Chapter

I had seen Amish Tripathi saying on TV that ‘Raavan’ is his darkest book. I had mentally prepared myself for melancholy mood in the book, some cruelty and probably some justification for Raavan being Raavan. This is the way of looking at villains now-a-days. We try to justify them. However, what I read was way beyond what I had imagined. It illustrates how a writer can separate oneself from the real self, just like an actor. A person so thorough a gentleman in personal life goes to darkest corners of the mind to come up with such a portrayal of Raavan.

While discussing Amish’s writing I met a devout young Hindu who was not happy with Amish stripping the divine characters of our history (or mythology for some) of their divinity. First it was Bhagwan Shiva and now Ramchandra or Ram. But, Amish is not the only one, many writers have not jumped onto the band wagon of reinterpreting our ancient scriptures and Itihasa.

Come to think of it; Valmiki, the original narrator of story of Ram also presented him as a great person, a sterling example in moral leadership and a person who never crossed the line of morality and ethic – Maryada Purushottam. He was not presented as a divine person. There is a belief among large sections of Hindus civilisation that we elevate a person to the level of a Bhagwan or a divine person because he was great and surpassed the behaviour of normal human beings. This is how we show our respect to that person so others emulate him/her and put him on a pedestal as a divine personality. I, therefore, don’t mind this fictional presentation of an individual whom we worship as a Bhagwan as long as he/she is given right amount of respect is shown to the person and the aura of that personality is not damaged. Some readers may still find this unethical. I respect their sentiments.

I have read both Ram and Sita from this Ramchandra series. I appreciate his Sita who is a very strong person and a brave, fearless fighter. I do not know as yet, his reason for showing Ram as a victim of circumstances and a weaker personality than what we have felt about him so far. May be, we shall have to wait for the next volume when the three main protagonists come together again in Lanka.

I appreciate Amish not justifying any of the acts of Raavan behind some victimhood. He is evil - simple and straight. His build-up of Raavan from a rebellious but precocious child to a ruthless ambitious trader who is able to become a successful wealthy king is racy and breath-taking with surprising twists. Amish gives his creativity a free hand while unleashing the darkness lurking somewhere in his sub-conscious. Raavan’s utter contempt for social morality and political ethics to destroy a civilisation tells us that goodness cannot survive against unscrupulous enemies.

Amish treatment of Kumbhkarna is most interesting and the surprise package of Raavan. Why Kumbhkarna is so devoted to Raavan and ready to do anything for him? Why does he suppress his ethical mind and suffer the pain? Author is able to provide the right background. Such is his creation that you adore the endearing person that Amish creates out of Kumbhkarna. In Ram Charit Manas, Kumbhakarna is more a caricature but here he comes out as a character with a mind and personality of his own. He is someone who is beholden of Raavan, who loves Raavan more than anyone else in the world, but who also tries to be the conscience keeper of his brother because he cares for him deeply. Such is his devotion but also conscience that he is feels depressed when he cannot bring Raavan to reason.

Why does Raavan treat Sita with deference? The rationale of the writer is very different from the ones we know through Ramayan and Ram Charit Manas. Author gives a new meaning the concept of ‘Kanyakumari. There is yet another twist in the story that one would not like to reveal.

Amish built up a compulsive narrative that will reach its crescendo in the fourth volume when the three streams from the three protagonists finally come together in his Ramchandra series. It is difficult to expand this critique to talk more about his version of the story of Raavan as it would be a spoiler. Each page of his has some surprise, and I would like reader to savour the surprises and twists.

The story telling in Raavan – the Enemy of Aryavarta - is so gripping that one can’t keep the book down till one has finished it. For this alone the writer needs to be awarded 5 stars. His knack of relating the past with the present keeps reader rooted to his present surroundings while he wanders through the ancient history of Bharat. His ability to explain various knowledge traditions and sub-plots comes very close to the ancient Indian skills in story telling that create multiple threads to finally merge into a single narrative. If you go through Ramayana, Mahabharata or Puranic story telling you will realise what I mean. Each twist has its own logic and implications for the ultimate developments in this magnum opus of a story of Ram that has fascinated the world for eons.

I can’t resist telling that my wife’s grand-father had written ‘Ravanaayan’ nearly 50 years back, that explained Ramayan from his point of view. Unfortunately for him society wasn’t so open minded nor was there modern technology to help him reach out to wider audience. He was hushed up.

My only crib with Amish is his refusal to identity geographies outside Bharat with their ancient names that could then be explained with their current nomenclature. This current versus ancient names approach gives an uneven feel to the story and sub-plots that he narrates. His ability to hook young readers onto ancient India with its own ancient names and its stories is so good that he can surely keep them keep them engaged with the other parts of the globe with same skill. For keeping this unevenness in the time line, I would like to deduct half a star. I would also suggest humbly that map of ancient India or Ramayana era be published in each volume to help readers connect better.

Read Raavan for invigorating your grey cells, the gripping storytelling and understanding the evil within villain of Ramayana better.