About the Book:
Draupadi's mother, Maharani Prishati, was influential in building her charismatic daughter's strong character as a proponent of human rights and a shrewd politician. Why would such an independent thinker blindly follow something that Ma Kunti said accidentally? Did all the Paandav brothers agree to marry her immediately? The brilliant Sahdev and the far-sighted strategist Draupadi collectively argued for a partition to give Duryodhan his rights to half the kingdom. The intricate complexities of a dynamic polyamorous marriage and a sibling bond promoting gender equality are showcased through the series. Over five parts unfurl – the untold memoirs of an Empress…
My Thoughts:
I have recently been re-reading the Mahabharata and was intrigued to come across this re-telling and re-imagination from Draupadi's point of view. The author delves into Draupadi's origins, bringing to us a narrative from her point of view. We see the world as she sees it, hear her thoughts and feel her emotions as she navigates the ups and downs of her life.
The author tries to bring out a different side of the epic, focusing on Draupadi's interactions with the Paandav brothers and building on her relationship with each of them. Their journey was not without difficulty and to have been accepted in the time when the events occurred is quite interesting. The flow of the story is good and as the plot deepens, so do the emotions and dialogues among the characters. The authors maintains a level of sophistication both in how the characters are portrayed as well in the style of writing which I really liked.
However, I felt that the way in which the story is told is more in tune with the world today, which dilutes some of the customs and thoughts as depicted or told in the original epics. There is always scope for interpretation and considering this, the author has done a good job in bringing to us an interesting point of view and focus. Even though the reader may know the original story, the development of this series is one to take note of and follow. Overall, this was a good read and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
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