Literature student Ahana Singh’s introduction to mythological fiction happened when she first picked up Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions. “Though I was familiar with the Mahabharata, I was not aware of Drapaudi’s (Panchaali in Divakaruni’s book) story and it offered a fascinating new perspective,” says the 21-year-old. “I had read an abridged version of the Mahabharata in school already so another book on the same topic would have to offer something new,” she adds.
Divakaruni admits how she did thorough research to make Draupadi’s character layered, complex and timeless because “mythological fiction wasn’t as popular as it is right now.” Since its release in 2008, The Palace of Illusions has sold 250,000 copies, testifying to the genre’s steady rise in India.
Mythological fiction is literature rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way, draws from the tropes, themes and symbolism of myth, legend and folklore woven out of mythological references based on research and India’s ancient scriptures. Though the genre has seen a sharp rise in interest recently, relatability was a question until a few years ago. “Making my characters relatable, especially to women, was a concern,” says Divakaruni, who ensured that while she was writing about revered women like Draupadi and Sita (in her book The Forest of Enchantments), she wanted to flesh out their flaws, too.
Koral Dasgupta, author of the Sati series (a retelling of the stories of the Panchakanya from Indian mythology), believes universal familiarity with mythology fuels the interest in the genre. “People may have in-depth knowledge of mythology, but they have heard or read stories, and connect with them at various stages in their lives” she says. Dasgupta takes a multi-genre approach to her writing, making her books more relatable. “My Sati series is a first-person narrative of the Panchakanya, which means, other than what the women say, I also have the liberty to spotlight what the women were thinking. Those thoughts are brave, uncompromising, relatable and contemporary,” she explains.
“THE EPICS HAVE BEEN AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SOURCE OF STORIES IN INDIA FOR CENTURIES, AND MILLIONS OF YOUNG READERS ARE EXPOSED TO THEM THROUGH MOVIES, TELEVISION SHOWS, TRANSLATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS.”Isha Banerji
“The epics have been an inexhaustible source of stories in India for centuries, and millions of young readers are exposed to them through movies, television shows, translations and adaptations. Now, previously unexplored characters and well-known tales retold in novel ways are finding great favour among contemporary readers,” says Isha Banerji, editor at Pan Macmillan India. But not every mythological fiction book does well. “Only a handful of titles, which have offered something novel to the reader, have been successful.”
Apart from the fascination with myth, magic and ancient wisdom, Dasgupta believes previous generations were exposed to tales orally through a patriarchal lens. But with female perspectives and newer approaches, a more contemporary audience is diving into the genre. “The response from readers to retellings of epics in which women and previously marginalised characters are given central roles has been incredibly encouraging,” says Banerji.
While currently, Hindu mythology is in the spotlight, it can also get difficult for people to understand the creative licenses an author takes while writing mythological fiction. “It is becoming trickier now. Many people—especially those who have not actually read the fiction based on Hindu mythology—take offense easily,” says Divakaruni. “This is a phase when the Indian audience is extremely sensitive to ‘god’. They are trying to unlearn, relearn and redefine god while reevaluating their own contributions in the world of god,” says Dasgupta.
On the other hand, Singh believes readers of her generation have also been sustaining interest in mythological fiction because they want to understand the current “obsession” with gods and demi-gods. “With names of our epics and gods thrown around, I know I wanted to understand the correct context myself, so I could differentiate between people getting offended for the sake of it and people pointing out loopholes with good reason,” she says.
Meanwhile, both Divakaruni and Dasgupta believe that mythological fiction should be celebrated and not put under the scanner as long as it is well-researched. “If the overall attitude is respectful, curious, accurate and determined to bring a beautiful story to current readers, then it does not matter what kind of mythology we are writing. After all, there is a long tradition of retelling Hindu mythology in India (for example, Sant Tulsidas, the Bengali writer Krittibas, the Tamil poet Kambar). I am honoured to participate in this great tradition,” says Divakaruni.