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A storyteller’s tale

Photo: Sandeep Saxena

UP AND DOWN JOURNEY Author Namita Gokhale says writing the book was a learning experience

Namita Gokhale is known for not repeating the subjects of her books. As she says, “I never stick to one genre. My interests keep changing, and so do my books. In fact, each book for me is a new journey. ”

While her debut, the critically-acclaimed “Paro: Dreams of Passion”, was a satire on the elite of Delhi, her latest, “The Puffin Mahabharata”, is a children’s book.

She has also delivered books such as the bestseller “The Book of Shadows”, which tells about ghosts and love; and non-fiction like the “Mountain Echoes”, which talks of the Kumaoni way of life.

Calling “The Puffin Mahabharata’, published by Penguin, “a learning experience,” Namita says, “There were so many new things I learnt about the Mahabharata, as I had to read a number of versions of the epic to write my own.”

What was her focus while writing for kids? “I’ve tried to retain the human touch of the epic, so young readers can appreciate it. Also, I’ve tried to maintain the flow of the narrative, so that there is a fine balance between pace and rhythm,” she says. Currently, she’s working on an anthology called “In Search of Sita”.

On the question of portrayal of violence, the renowned illustrator and painter says, “To subdue violence for kids, I haven’t shown blood unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

He adds, “Even where I’ve used red, I’ve just used smudges to lessen the severity of death.”

Another feature the author and illustrator point out is the continuity maintained through different chapters.

So we have a young Gandhari, blindfolding herself in the initial pages, and we have an old, decaying Gandhari cursing, still sitting in the same position, towards the end. Hopefully, the book will continue to entertain and educate kids of today, who prefer gaming consoles and e-gaming over epics.

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