Back to the future

Author Trisha Das is back with a sequel to her Ms Draupadi Kuru. The Misters Kuru : A Return to Mahabharata follows Draupadi, Amba and Kunti, who are wellsettled into their modern day Kalyug in New Delhi.

This time, the Pandava brothers drop into their world from the heavens. What follows is laughter, tears and new battles fought as the men find their place in the modern world. Edited excerpts from an interview:

What made you continue the story of Mahabharata?
As a modern Indian woman, I didn’t see myself in stories from my own culture. Sita thrust into a fire and then abandoned by Ram, Draupadi sold off and stripped in court — it didn’t feel fair that the women who spoke up were penalised. I thought about how it would be different if the same women were to inhabit a modern world. It eventually led to thinking about the men too and the idea for the Kuru books was born.

Through Yudhishtra’s experience in Delhi, you take jibes at the country’s political and social situation. Did you fear backlash?
I wanted there to be a political and social subtext because (a) humour is a great way to make a less-than-welcome-but-completely- noteworthy point and (b) because you can’t separate the Pandavas from the political. They spent their lives in political spaces, especially Yudhishtra, who was an emperor with his own kingdom, vassal kingdoms as well as allies and enemies. So, taking him into the workings of the modern political system seemed like a natural fit. I think it’s obvious in the books that I’m coming from a place of love for the Mahabharata and these characters.

Everybody knows Mahabharata stories. So, did you worry about how they would be received?
Ms Draupadi Kuru took me five years to write and there was a lot of second-guessing. I had to make sure I knew my stuff and prepared to be questioned. While there were many books written about Draupadi, Ms Draupadi Kuru was the first that was a comedy and featured her in situations outside the Mahabharata. I did feel the pressure. Luckily, people received the book well.

Did you have trouble choosing the events from the epic for your books, and was it difficult to decide how you would treat them?
The references to events from the epic happened organically, in relation to what the characters were experiencing. The events were used to give the reader a clearer picture of what motivated the actions of the characters. Each character had an arc, the starting point of which was decided by their experiences in the epic. Yudhishtra at the beginning of the book wouldn’t question his understanding of dharma but, by the end, he might.

Many would baulk at the idea of poking fun at the Pandavas. What would you say to them?
I’d say we need laughter now more than ever. I’d say I love our mythology as much as they do. I’d ask them to keep an open mind and if they couldn’t, then the Kuru books obviously aren’t for them.