Among various versions of the Mahabharata epic, 17-year-old Vikram Nagarajan’s The Silver Lining - Mahabharata -Part 1 stands out for its unique narration Vikram has chosen to tell the story from the point of view of some of its characters including Bhima, Duryodhana and Arjuna. “This is done so that the reader gains a full grasp of the epic, for the Mahabharata is a war of philosophies and morality, masked as a story,” says the Pittsburgh-based student in an email.
Vikram’s parents, Indira and Nagarajan, natives of Hyderabad and Chennai respectively, now settled in the US, have played a major role in making epics an integral part of Vikram’s childhood. “I grew up with these epics, so these characters are my superheroes. I’ve always wanted to tell their story and writing them in a unique style was enriching.”
Visual feast
Book cover | Photo Credit: special arrangement
The 87-page book has chapters accompanied by artist Vasu Chennupalli’s illustrations making for a visual treat. Unlike the conventional linear, plot-driven narration, here the protagonists narrate their own story. In the part 1, the book covers the meeting of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, Draupadi’s swayamavara, and Krishna’s birth and childhood stories; Subsequent events will be covered in an upcoming book. Explaining the reason for this atypical rendering of the epic, Vikram says in the introduction, “It will be told from different perspectives, to entirely encapsulate the essence of what is a true story regarding heroism and treachery and will attempt to do justice to the morals and lessons that Veda Vyasa details in his philosophical, masterful poem about life and death and its conundrums.”
Vikram Nagarajan | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Vikram’s first book, Ramayana 2020 (2018) is humourous and modern in approach. Although he began writing Mahabharata after completing that book, he had developed the idea long before. “The Mahabharata is by far the densest and thought-provoking epic I have ever read and felt that the only way to do justice would be to provide a holistic narration of the epic.”
The book took four months to write. “Writing Mahabharata was much more challenging than Ramayana, as the story itself is longer. The goal of Ramayana 2020 was to make the epic palatable to younger audiences, while this book dives deep into the complexities behind each character.”
On the career front, Vikram plans to pursue computer science. “Balancing different interests is difficult but my friends and family support me in managing my time well.”
(For copies in India, contact 94499 31450 (Bengaluru) / 9701748468 (Hyderabad). For copies in the US and Canada:https://a.co/d/1AGSCZa; Price: US Amazon is $11:99 and in India is ₹150.)
