The
first time I came across the name Aditya Iyengar was while reading Mumbai
Avengers where Mr. Hussain Zaidi mentioned Mr. Aditya for his creative contribution
in the work. Within a week, this book reached me by courier and now, I am
writing its review.
The epic Mahabharata, the rivalry of Pandavas and
Kauravas and the great Kurukshetra war do not need an introduction for any of
us. The story of well known and is quite a good example where the good finally
wins over the bad. The Thirteenth Day narrates three days of the Kurukshetra
War and the thought processes that went through the minds of the three warriors
– Yudhishthira, Karna and Abhimanyu. What make this work stand out with a well
known story is that the characters are represented as warriors of 1000 BC
dressed in dhotis, wearing metallic armours and fighting with metal and stone
weapons.
Yudhishthira, the eldest of Pandavas is well known for
his honesty and sincerity rather than his skills at war front. The author
presents him almost the same way and most of the time, he finds himself unfit
to lead the Pandavas and even attempt to surrender to his enemies so as to put
an end to the war and bloodshed. Radheya or Karna, my personal favourite, is
one of those characters who earn the readers respect even though he is an ally
of the chief antagonist. Born as a Pandava, Radheya was made the king of Anga
by Suyodhana owing to which he took side of the Kauravas during the war. Last
but not the least, Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna is the real hero of this work of
fiction. He is presented as someone who fought so bravely and matched his
father for his skills and was killed by the Kauravas in such a way that brought
disgrace to the entire family.
The
author’s emphasis on these characters, leaving behind Suyodhana, Arjuna, Bhima
and Krishna need a special mention here. Many books have been written retelling
the same old tale from the perspective of different characters from the epic.
The author has picked just three days which decided the fate of the Kuru clan,
detailed it from the perspective of three warriors with entirely three
different intentions and brought up this book which is highly recommended for
those who enjoy mythological works and would like to experience this new take
on the great epic.
My rating : 4/5
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