Published 21:20 IST, September 2nd 2020
Baahubali prequel Chaturanga to expand Mahishmathi mythos; Sivagami and Kattappa in focus
Republic World spoke to Anand Neelakantan, the author of the recently released book Chaturanga- the second book in the Baahubali-Before the Beginning series.
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Since the first film of the Baahubali series released in 2015, millions of fans have been captivated by its breathtaking visual effects, powerful story and strong characters. In 2017, acclaimed novelist Anand Neelakantan wrote The Rise of Sivagami, the first book in the Baahubali-Before the Beginning trilogy- an official prequel to the Baahubali films. A few weeks ago, Chaturanga- the second book in the series also hit the stores. To understand more about the book and its screen adaptation, Republic World on Wednesday, September 2 spoke to its author Anand Neelakantan.
Q. Can you shed some light on the inception of Baahubali-Before the Beginning series and the role played by Director SS Rajamouli?
A: This is an official prequel of the Baahubali movie. This is a part of the Baahubali universe. So, I was commissioned by SS Rajamouli to write a prequel. He had called me after reading my other books such as Asura. He called me to Hyderabad. And I proceeded to write. So, we had this planning that would extend beyond the movies. This was before the films. So, I started writing all the character backstories. I took three characters from the films and I added around 40 characters. The third book will come in 6 months.
Q. How challenging it has been to write these books considering that Baahubali is a big brand resulting in tremendous expectations from the people?
A: It is difficult. But at the same time, SS Rajamouli had given me all the freedom. I didn’t write the story of what is shown in the film. I took the characters from there and talked about their childhood. I took Sivagami and Kattappa. They are middle-aged in the film. So, I started from the age of 16-17 and telling how Sivagami became the maharani of Mahishmathi.
Novels have an advantage over films for the scope of it. I can tell the story spanning many years. In films, I have to finish the story in 2-3 hours and there are budgetary constraints also. My imagination is my only limitation. There is no budget for writing. In a way, I was using the advantage of films as I have written the screenplay of films and plays. I have written the screenplay for many of the popular television shows such as Siya Ke Ram, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Mahabali Hanuman, Adaalat, etc. I have written over 500 hours of screenplay plus this is my 7th novel.
Q. ‘Chaturanga’- the title of your latest book arouses a lot of curiosity. Is it a reference to an Indian strategic game and does it indicate that the challenges for the Mahishmathi kingdom will continue?
A: Chaturanga is a game of skill and luck. It is more like ludo than chess. In ludo, you throw the dice and an element of luck is there. Then, you use your skill to move the coins. It is an ancient form of ludo. The opposite person also throws the dice. So, luck will act in favour or against you.
So, it represents a political intrigue set in the medieval era. But it perhaps represents the contemporary times. It has all the ugliness of contemporary politics. Because I don’t think human nature would change. Only the means might change- at that time, it might be war, now it can be elections. But the aspiration of people and the strategies might have remained the same.
Q. So far, it has been observed the trilogy has numerous dramatis personae, which are distinct from the movies. How tough is it to render every character relevant?
A: When I write the chapter of a character, that character is a hero of the chapter. Even though the main protagonists are Sivagami and Kattappa, there is no minor character in the books. Every character is important because every character will imagine that he/she is the hero of the story. I create characters and go into minds and the plot naturally flows.
Q. Kattappa has always intrigued people with his unflinching loyalty. Does his rebel younger brother Shivappa have a lasting impact on him?
A: Kattappa and Shivappa are polar opposites in the sense that both don’t like to be slaves. Both accept it in a different way. Kattappa does it like a duty, whereas Shivappa feels that we have to create our own goals. Only the way in which they react is different, otherwise they are one and the same person. Kattappa may not like what he is doing but he will do it. He thinks it is his duty to obey what the master says. He even kills Bahubali when Sivagami asks. On the other hand, Shivappa may have rebelled against the queen. Kattappa keeps his individuality inside and behaves exactly what the master wants. So, he becomes a perfect tool for anyone building power. Many of the dynasties in history have been made by such slaves who have won the kingdom for their master.
Q. In the first book, Sivagami is raring to avenge her father’s death, seeking to destroy the Mahishmathi kingdom. Does her elevation as the Bhoomipathi change her perspective?
A: Earlier, she is a 16-year-old girl who hasn’t seen the world. She just wants to kill the king and destroy the kingdom. As the book progresses, she understands that it is not the individual you have to hate, but it is the system that has to be changed. In the first book, her mentor who incidentally dies- he makes it clear that if you kill a king, another king will come up and do the same thing. So, unless you change the system, the individualistic pursuit of vengeance is not going to work.
Q. Can the readers expect any disclosure in Chaturanga on why Sivagami eventually agrees to marry Bijjaladeva despite Mahadeva’s affection for her?
A: It will come in the third book. Why she (Sivagami) marries Bijjaladeva, how he became handicapped- all those things will come in the next book.
Q. With female protagonists getting a pivotal role in recent mythological books, do you think this trend is here to stay?
A: I don’t know whether I started it. But my earlier all books had male protagonists. I found Sivagami’s character interesting. Otherwise, if you see in the film, both characters are either black or white. Sivagami is one lady who orders the death of her adopted son whom she loves more than her own son. So, that is an interesting character.
Q. Is there any plan to turn this riveting trilogy into a film series?
A: This is going to be a Netflix series. A lot of shooting has been done, but I think COVID-19 has delayed it. Most probably, one book will be divided into two seasons. So, there will be 6 seasons for the three books.
21:11 IST, September 2nd 2020