Ajaya- Epic of The Kaurava Clan

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‘Anand's style of narration is one of my favourites, where he brings the emotions so vividly and leaves the judgement to the reader through neutrality in his storytelling...'

- SS RAJAMOULI (Director, Baahubali)

The Mahabharata Endures As The Great Epic Of India

Every Indian has grown up conditioned to the view that the Pandavas were virtuous and wronged; and the Kauravas were manipulative and evil. On a visit to Malanada Temple, Kerala, national bestselling author of ASURA, Anand Neelakantan, discovered the temple deity to be none other than Duryodhanan, the ostensible 'villain' of the Mahabharata. This astonishing discovery prompted him to delve deep into the narrative of the defeated Crown Prince of Hastinapura, and the Kaurava clan. Ajaya challenges established views and compels us to think again. The book is all about the power of perception. It retells with compelling credibility, the epic events from Duryodhan's (given name: Suryodhana), point of view.

While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the unconquerable Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of India's most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. In the apocalyptic struggle that follows every rule is broken as kin slaughters kin. Both sides do whatever it takes to win. But as gods conspire and men's destinies unfold in a shattering denouement, a far greater truth finally prevails over the carnage at Kuruskshetra: When men battle and women weep, there are no victors.

Anand Neelakantan was born in a quaint Ollittle village Thripoonithura, outside the city of Cochin, in Kerala. Dotted with temples, it was little wonder that mythology fascinated him from an early age. Ironically, he was drawn to the anti-heroes. The voices of the defeated and the damned refused to be silenced in his mind. He felt impelled to narrate the tales of the vanquished, and then give life to the silent heroes overlooked in our uncritical acceptance of the conventional renderings of our epics. A dexterous writer and gifted cartoonist, Anand went on to create a unique literary genre by questioning, arguing and retelling the epics; instantly connecting with a modern readership; making him one of the most popular and well-known authors in India today.

Anand's first book, ASURA Tale Of The Vanquished (Platinum Press 2012), is regarded as a modern classic, featuring on the national bestseller since its debut. This Collector's Edition of AJAYA, follows the outstanding success of Roll Of The Dice and Rise Of Kali, both of which are national bestsellers. He has also written screenplays for various television channels and his book, Rise of Sivagami, was based on the popular Bahubali movies.

Anand was shortlisted for the Crossword Popular Award two years consecutively (2013 & 2014), and in 2017, he received the prestigious Kalinga International Literary Award.

He lives in Mumbai with his wife Aparna, daughter Ananya, son Abhinav, and dog, Jackie the Blackie.