Randamoozham is the masterpiece of Jnanpith winning writer M. Vasudevan Nair. It was translated into English as Second Turn in 1997. Vasudevan Nair won Vayalar Award, given for the best literary work in Malayalam, for the novel in 1985. Later, in the year 1995, Mr. Nair was awarded the highest literary award in India, Jnanpith Award, for his overall contribution Randamoozham is the masterpiece of Jnanpith winning writer M. Vasudevan Nair.
It was translated into English as Second Turn in 1997. Vasudevan Nair won Vayalar Award, given for the best literary work in Malayalam, for the novel in 1985. Later, in the year 1995, Mr. Nair was awarded the highest literary award in India, Jnanpith Award, for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature.The novel is set as a retelling of the Indian epic Mahabharata, from the view of Bhima, the second Pandava. M.T.Vasudevan Nair (or M.T.
Randamoozham.pdf - Free download Ebook, Handbook, Textbook, User Guide PDF files on the internet quickly and easily.
As he is lovingly known to us Malayalees), a doyen in the field of Malayalam literature and a trendsetting scriptwriter for Malayalam movies, has penned this wonderful novel: the Mahabharatha epic seen through the eyes of Bhima, the second of the Pandava brothers. Is known for his portrayal of the unsung hero, both in literature and movies. Most of his protagonists are vehicles for the frustrations he suffered as a young man, and Bhima is no different.
Always M.T.Vasudevan Nair (or M.T. As he is lovingly known to us Malayalees), a doyen in the field of Malayalam literature and a trendsetting scriptwriter for Malayalam movies, has penned this wonderful novel: the Mahabharatha epic seen through the eyes of Bhima, the second of the Pandava brothers. Is known for his portrayal of the unsung hero, both in literature and movies.
Most of his protagonists are vehicles for the frustrations he suffered as a young man, and Bhima is no different. Always destined to be second (or take the 'Second Turn' - 'Randam Oozham' in Malayalam - which incidentally gives the novel its title) to his weak elder brother Yudhishtira in seniority and younger brother Arjuna in fame and popularity, Bhima is not given his due as the main architect of the Pandava victory over their cousins Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war.Though M.T. Twists the story to his own ends in many places (he takes a lot of poetic license with epics and legends), the dreamily poetic language and the heartfelt angst of Bhima makes this an exemplary work of fiction. You can get lost in the beauty of the Malayalam language; but then, that is the characteristic of most of M.T.' Strong,compassionate & empathetic. This work stands like a colossus on the shores of Malayalam Literature.
The worlds knows Bheema of the Mahabharatha as a beast of war, the elder brother was a paragon of virtue and the casanova-esque thrid brother was a super star all over. Bheema was treated as a bozo who lumbers around with a club bashing up the brains of the Kauravas in TV and in books. How many of these writers saw the hurt & pain being marked a moron gave Bheema? How many of them Strong,compassionate & empathetic. This work stands like a colossus on the shores of Malayalam Literature. The worlds knows Bheema of the Mahabharatha as a beast of war, the elder brother was a paragon of virtue and the casanova-esque thrid brother was a super star all over. Bheema was treated as a bozo who lumbers around with a club bashing up the brains of the Kauravas in TV and in books.
How many of these writers saw the hurt & pain being marked a moron gave Bheema? How many of them saw Bheema the father?
The Husband?not many did. It took an MT to look beyond the stereotypical labels and bring out the human being in Bheema.Randamoozham ( for those uninitiated in malayalam, this means 'the second round') is by far one of the best literary works I have had the pleasure of reading. Based on the Mahabharatha, it tells the entire epic from the viewpoint of Bheema.
Bheema is a most unlikely protagonist in the sense that nothing but his brawn sets him apart. Once when asked about his inspiration for such a work MT replied that the pregnant pauses placed by Vyasa in the Mahabharatha made him think of such a work. Chapters in the Mahabharatha end in places which poses a lot of questions for us & contradictions are galore as in any epic. In one instance the warrior code of the Kshatriyas state that it is the warrior who kills the maximum of the enemies is the one entitled for the crown.
If such was the case, Bheema would have been the king but it is his brother who ends up becoming one.The most manipulative of ladies in literature Draupadi dances him to her whims and Bheema ends up accepting the fact that she played him along all the way. The most powerful of scenes is the one where Krishna walks into the army camp after the death of Bheema's half-demon son in battle, seeing the camp in sorrow Krishna proclaims ' good that he died of Karna's hand else it should have been my hand some day'. Quite natural for a King to say about a demon but he said this within earshot of the father who stood looking at the body of his slain offspring. This was from the mouth of a man who lectured his friend on the fact that the soul was just a sort of dress for the human body. A few days after this, Krishna is beyond grief when his own nephew is slain in battle, this is one of those acute observations the author makes in te pages.MT gives the tale a human touch withouth adding any of the mythos or making any character less human than what it actually could have been.The language is powerful & moving and i reread this more than once. With time I am sure I will read this again & again.Just one of those works which is beyond the realm of literature for me. Whenever I see this book sitting in my mother's bookshelf, I pick this up and read it once.
In the past five years I have read this at least five times. This is a timeless classic, a totally different rendition of a story we have all heard, the Mahabharata.MT Vasudevan Nair has chosen Bheema as the protagonist of this book. The entire Mahabharata is narrated as a historical tale (than a story of Gods, Demons and the superhuman), in the first person, from Bheema's perspective.
About his joys, Whenever I see this book sitting in my mother's bookshelf, I pick this up and read it once. In the past five years I have read this at least five times. This is a timeless classic, a totally different rendition of a story we have all heard, the Mahabharata.MT Vasudevan Nair has chosen Bheema as the protagonist of this book. The entire Mahabharata is narrated as a historical tale (than a story of Gods, Demons and the superhuman), in the first person, from Bheema's perspective. About his joys, heartbreaks, frustrations as he is unable to digest the uncompromising expectations out of a Kshatriya and about his vengeance.Not a single book I have ever read has been able to make me empathize with and own the feelings of it protagonist ever, when compared to this book. Bheema's thought processes behind the most arrogant statements he made, the pain he went through at every rejection and his feelings of not being able to accept the woman he first loved - MT manages to handhold you through all of those emotions.I can confidently say, this is the best book I have ever read, in any language. I think this is the simplest way Mahabharatha has been ever told.
Narrating the story from Bhima's point of view, MT stripped off the divine powers from the characters and presented them as mortal human beings with emotions. So you don't get to see Krishna supplying an infinitely long sari to save Draupadi or King Jarasandha's body rejoining and coming back to life whichever way Bhima tries to tear him into two.
But you can see Bhima being jealous of Arjuna for being Draupadi's favourite among I think this is the simplest way Mahabharatha has been ever told. Narrating the story from Bhima's point of view, MT stripped off the divine powers from the characters and presented them as mortal human beings with emotions.
So you don't get to see Krishna supplying an infinitely long sari to save Draupadi or King Jarasandha's body rejoining and coming back to life whichever way Bhima tries to tear him into two. But you can see Bhima being jealous of Arjuna for being Draupadi's favourite among the five brothers as well as Arjuna mocking Karna for being of lower caste to satisfy his superiority complex. To an extent the Pandavas become mere puppets in the hands of Kunthi and Draupadi.
While Kunthi commands them as their mother, Draupadi lures them with their next chance to live with her. The last few pages reveal some shocking facts about the Pandavas' parenthood. MT explains that he read different versions of the story written over different periods and found that divine powers granted to the characters were mostly imaginations of the story tellers. A very good transformation of the epic Mahabharata.
A different view at the classic taking out the supernatural element was a pleasant surprise. The book takes readers through the Mahabharatha as narrated by the Second Pandava, the strongest of them all, Bhimasena.
Bhima comes alive in front of us as a mere Human, and exposes the human side of all the characters in the epic. The narration was quite pacey, and you cannot get yours hands off the book unless it had finished. Hat's off to Mr.
A very good transformation of the epic Mahabharata. A different view at the classic taking out the supernatural element was a pleasant surprise. The book takes readers through the Mahabharatha as narrated by the Second Pandava, the strongest of them all, Bhimasena. Bhima comes alive in front of us as a mere Human, and exposes the human side of all the characters in the epic. The narration was quite pacey, and you cannot get yours hands off the book unless it had finished.
Hat's off to Mr. Vasudevan for the commendable work.
Throws light on many unknown aspects of Bhima's character. MT Vasudevan Nair has researched the Mahabharatha in detail and brings out nugets of information seamlessly woven into the narrativeInterestingly, this book was written 30 to 40 years before the author Amish Tripathi like successfully attempted retelling the Hindu Gods.Anybody who is interested in Mahabharata should make this a 'must' read; and people who are interested in a good story should also enjoy this book. The revolutionary thinker in me, the one who questions every single myth and superhero story fed to me while being respectful to the traditions -this book brings it all back and yes in a very tight thriller.for those who love mythology,history and good stories, this is a must read. I don't have to say anything more. And for the portrayal of bhimasena - I feel I found something I was searching for.the human side of the epic, with many parts I was hoping might be included in the way I wanted, the revolutionary thinker in me, the one who questions every single myth and superhero story fed to me while being respectful to the traditions -this book brings it all back and yes in a very tight thriller.for those who love mythology,history and good stories, this is a must read.
I don't have to say anything more. And for the portrayal of bhimasena - I feel I found something I was searching for.the human side of the epic, with many parts I was hoping might be included in the way I wanted, but many more that didn't mention many things I wanted to read about. I guess those were not added since M.T wouldn't or couldn't include something without proper research.as per the epilogue, the deep research is very evident.overall a great experience for me - a teetotaler in malayalam literature. Struggling to mouth many of the words and usages, I did manage to fight through. I must admit that the language was quite easy considering the epic proportions of the content involved.so many characters remain in my mind, receiving my appreciation, hatred, apathy or disgust. A wonderful mystical work of literature it is.
No doubt about it. No wonder many people swear by it.
Though I am detecting this impulse so late. There are so many interpretations and translations on Mahabharatha and Ramayana world wide. Every new translation adds something to the original story. This particular novel foregrounds the Mahabharatha story from the point of view of the 'real hero', Bhima. There is nothing unusual in looking into that epic from that angle. In fact, it is not the first time that one literary work has been subjected to reinterpret or renarrate from the point of view of some other characters from the same novel. There are so many interpretations and translations on Mahabharatha and Ramayana world wide.
Every new translation adds something to the original story. This particular novel foregrounds the Mahabharatha story from the point of view of the 'real hero', Bhima. There is nothing unusual in looking into that epic from that angle.
In fact, it is not the first time that one literary work has been subjected to reinterpret or renarrate from the point of view of some other characters from the same novel. Examples are the novel which comes out based Bertha Mason's experience who was a minor charecter in Jane Eyre. Such events are common in literary world. But the thing is that MT is dared enough to discard the divinely figures in Mahabharath; Krishna is just a clever king who knows good diplomacy and wants the help of Pandavas to kill Jarasandha.
Similar way, none of the five Pandavas are the heirs of gods! This would be the only thing I could find different in this novel from other narratives.
If there's one thing I've realised after reading M.T.Vasudevan Nair's Randamoozham (English translation by Gita Krishnankutty) is that there is no one interpretation of the Mahabharata. There have been numerous re-tellings so far, from the PoV of so many characters and yet, every time I read it I come away with a different feeling and a different understanding of the characters. Like MT says in the Epilogue, the credit goes to the original author, Sage Vyasa - not just for what he said, but also If there's one thing I've realised after reading M.T.Vasudevan Nair's Randamoozham (English translation by Gita Krishnankutty) is that there is no one interpretation of the Mahabharata.
There have been numerous re-tellings so far, from the PoV of so many characters and yet, every time I read it I come away with a different feeling and a different understanding of the characters. Like MT says in the Epilogue, the credit goes to the original author, Sage Vyasa - not just for what he said, but also for what he didn't. The 'silences he maintained' in some parts were the places that future authors could interpret in their own way. And I can see now how it is that the same story can be told in so many different ways and still not sound repetitive. If anything, it only makes me want to read more versions of it.Like all books translated from a language I know (Tamil, Telugu, Hindi or Malayalam), this one also started off with me feeling I'm getting a raw deal, to not be reading the original.
The first few chapters I struggled a little bit to shut out the constant comparison of the English words to the equivalent in Malayalam. But once I did that, I enjoyed the book immensely. The translator has done some justice to the work, without losing out too much of the poetry that would've been MT's Malayalam version.Bhima is a strange choice for a protagonist.
The popular retellings do not pay too much attention to him - he's overshadowed by Arjuna in terms of prowess and Yudhishtira with his claim to the throne. This is probably why Bhima's PoV is a bit refreshing from the usual stories we read. Yudhishtira is shown in a completely different light and to an extent, so is Draupadi.
But the surprising part was the portrayal of Krishna. MT has stripped off all traces of divinity from this retelling. Everyone is human.
Krishna, included. There is no flowing saree covering Draupadi's shame during her disrobing by Dussasana. During the war, Krishna does not use his discus to block the sun, to bring Jarasandha out in the open. Not just that, Karna is not depicted with any permanent kavacha-kundalam. So the book comes off as a regular narrative, stripped off it's divine and fantastical connotations.
I guess this is what makes it a unique read, compared to the other versions of Mahabharatha.I really would've loved to read this in Malayalam - maybe when the husband is in a good mood, I can coax him into reading out the good parts!;-)P.S.: Planning to read Prem Panicker's translation soon. Hats off to this genuis.
Such a brave attempt it is to tell the entire story from a purely human prespective and that too from a very less acclaimed hero in mahabharata, the Bhima.May be its is true that there is a hero in each one of us, after all life is a struggle and everyone you see around is fighting to his/her best.MT has portrayed the entire story unbiased from the so called superhuman abilities and morale that we are used to hearing right from our childhood about the characters in Hats off to this genuis. I bought this book after hearing lots of good comments about this book. But, the book was far better than what I had expected. M.T Sir has narrated Mahabharatha in a different angle. We can see the real hero, Bhima in every page. Bhima - a good son, brother, husband and father.And, everyone will like Ghatotkachan(Abandoned son of Bhima, who was an important reason behind the victory of Pandavas in Kurukshetra war.) Also, I lost respect to some of idols who were always worshiped in all other I bought this book after hearing lots of good comments about this book. But, the book was far better than what I had expected.
M.T Sir has narrated Mahabharatha in a different angle. We can see the real hero, Bhima in every page.
Bhima - a good son, brother, husband and father.And, everyone will like Ghatotkachan(Abandoned son of Bhima, who was an important reason behind the victory of Pandavas in Kurukshetra war.) Also, I lost respect to some of idols who were always worshiped in all other books & stories.This is the best book I have ever read. This is the only book that I have started again as soon as I completed reading the last page. Everyone who likes reading should read this book once(Once completed you will definitely read it again later.) Randamoozham will never disappoint you!! Every time I read a well written version of the Mahabharata, I respect the original epic even more. How many works can lay claim to so many renditions centuries after the original version?
As for this version, what does it say of an author when he can mesmerise the reader with a story that one has been hearing since childhood?As the title suggests, Bhima is the protagonist and the story is told from his perspective. MT does not try to take on the much larger canvas of the Mahabharata, and Every time I read a well written version of the Mahabharata, I respect the original epic even more. How many works can lay claim to so many renditions centuries after the original version? As for this version, what does it say of an author when he can mesmerise the reader with a story that one has been hearing since childhood?As the title suggests, Bhima is the protagonist and the story is told from his perspective. MT does not try to take on the much larger canvas of the Mahabharata, and instead focuses on keeping the narrative around Bhima. That is what makes this unique.
The story is told in flashback mode - from the final journey.Between the eldest Yudhishtira, whose kingship is a focus and the warrior Arjuna, whose valour is a key element of the epic, is Bhima, who annihilated each of the Kauravas, but who is still largely a footnote in the epic. Through the book, many a character refers to him as the 'blockhead', and do not even begin to understand his sensitive side, Arjuna being a key exception. Indeed, it would seem that only Arjuna, Draupadi, Dhritarashtra and Dhrishtadyumna respect the fierce warrior that Bhima is. Bhima also sacrifices a lot of his relationships for his brothers and is not able to be the husband and father he might have wanted to be. In this context, there is a superbly nuanced sub-narrative of casteism that runs in parallel.It is also interesting how he plays down many of his exploits as the exaggeration of bards, and actually many of the events in the Mahabharata are underplayed or completely non-existent (Krishna's intervention while Draupadi was being humiliated by the Kauravas) in this version. On the flip side, the tension between the brothers (Yudhishtira-Bhima and Yudhishtira-Arjuna) is a key component here.
Yudhishtira is largely shown as someone who uses Dharma as a shield for his ineptitude. Kunti's political astuteness compensates a lot for it.There are many such alternate explanations and perspectives, like the Saugandhika flower episode, that add to this version's uniqueness.
The last few pages which offer quite a few revelations, and the epilogue, are worth a mention too. I have not read the original Malayalam book (I plan to) so I cannot comment on the translation, but the language is simple yet eloquent and that played a large role in making this book a thoroughly enjoyable read. Translated from one of MT's most popular Malayalam works 'Randamoozham', this is a version of Mahabharata narrated from Bhima's point of view. Bhima - the second Pandava, the warrior par excellence, the epitome of strength and power.' Bhima who won the war and yet achieved nothing'.As a kid, I was always attracted to and read more stories from the Ramayana over Mahabharata, mostly because I found the latter too confusing with too many characters. As a result, my opinion maybe biased with not Translated from one of MT's most popular Malayalam works 'Randamoozham', this is a version of Mahabharata narrated from Bhima's point of view. Bhima - the second Pandava, the warrior par excellence, the epitome of strength and power.'
Bhima who won the war and yet achieved nothing'.As a kid, I was always attracted to and read more stories from the Ramayana over Mahabharata, mostly because I found the latter too confusing with too many characters. As a result, my opinion maybe biased with not much to compare with, but I thought MT's narration and perspective was beautiful.
And full marks to the impeccable translation by Gita Krishnankutty. Is a legend at resurrecting unsung heroes from myths and fables and he does it again. But against popular opinion, I never felt that this was just Bheem's story. Retells Mahabharatha, the most epic creation of a civilization from the perspective of a common man. Himself said, Bheem is never clouded by dharma or karma. He is as common as a royal can get.
Through him, we understand the epic for what it really was. Not an ode to the gods, but a majestic portrayal of men, desires M.T. Is a legend at resurrecting unsung heroes from myths and fables and he does it again. But against popular opinion, I never felt that this was just Bheem's story. Retells Mahabharatha, the most epic creation of a civilization from the perspective of a common man. Himself said, Bheem is never clouded by dharma or karma. He is as common as a royal can get.
Through him, we understand the epic for what it really was. Not an ode to the gods, but a majestic portrayal of men, desires and death. A literary masterpiece from one of the greatest authors of India.The novel is a retake of the Indian epic Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Bhima, who the author describes as the most important warrior in the Mahabharata war. First of all, kudos to M.T. For his revolutionary thinking. Nowadays, when reading books of Amish and Anand Neelakantan, who also talks about stories from the puranas and epics in a different and more logical way, it astonishes me to realize that someone from my state has A literary masterpiece from one of the greatest authors of India.The novel is a retake of the Indian epic Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Bhima, who the author describes as the most important warrior in the Mahabharata war. First of all, kudos to M.T.
For his revolutionary thinking. Nowadays, when reading books of Amish and Anand Neelakantan, who also talks about stories from the puranas and epics in a different and more logical way, it astonishes me to realize that someone from my state has already mastered the art and has given a book that sets the standard for the younger generation(and a screenplay for the national award winning movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha) three decades ago.The story is well-written with elements of realism unlike the actual epic filled with extra-ordinary fables.
It also gives a fresh outlook on Bhima along with many other characters of Mahabharata, especially Krishna whom I enjoyed the most. The author speaks about years spent on researching content for the book and without doubt, one can agree that it has not gone in vain.Talking about the negatives of the book, the language was so sophisticated that I couldn't understand the description or what the author was trying to convey at moments. I completely agree that it is not actually a negative of the book as I said above but in fact a shortcoming of myself. I really hope that I can work harder to improve my language so that I can reread this literary masterpiece once again with more clarity. During the first half of the book, I really missed the feeling you get when you truly connect with the characters of a book and make a fool out of yourself trying to yell at the characters knowing it won't make a difference. But that problem was solved as I moved on to the climax when finally, the destruction caused by war was beautifully portrayed by the author. What stands out in the novel (for me at least) is the ending which cements the fact that Bhima is just another human being like us with lust and love and hope for revenge which I think sums up most of the author's message.
The language isn’t particularly beautiful or impressive, which might be a fault of the translation itself. However, reading the Mahabharata from the perspective of Bhima, who in popular narrative is a physically powerful man with few complexities of character, was very interesting. He broods; he knows he hasn’t been given his due; he loves Draupadi who in turn loves Arjuna the most; he trains hard; he avenges his family without worrying about personal consequences; he resents Yudhishthira’s The language isn’t particularly beautiful or impressive, which might be a fault of the translation itself. However, reading the Mahabharata from the perspective of Bhima, who in popular narrative is a physically powerful man with few complexities of character, was very interesting. He broods; he knows he hasn’t been given his due; he loves Draupadi who in turn loves Arjuna the most; he trains hard; he avenges his family without worrying about personal consequences; he resents Yudhishthira’s terrible, reckless decisions; he is vulnerable, he faces manipulative behavior from Yudhishthira, Draupadi and Kunti; and he mourns the loss of his sons through Draupadi and Hidimba.this is Bhima with complexity upon more complexity. This particular narrative is also low on magical elements such as Draupadi’s unending sari and Bhishma’s ability to choose his exact time of death. What was unexpected and extremely fascinating was the truth of Bhima’s parentage as revealed right at the end.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone fascinated with the Mahabharata. Mahabharatha as a story of simple man through the eye of an simple man whom we considered second always.
Really broke some idols in my mind and restructured the whole Mahabharatha in an another way. It opened me an another way of thinking. While reading I was Bhima, I was feeling all the emotions he went through, the feeling of rejection, avoidance and I was travelling around all the place he went, through Hastinapura, Indraprastha, the forest, the battle field of Kurukshetra. Picturisation Mahabharatha as a story of simple man through the eye of an simple man whom we considered second always. Really broke some idols in my mind and restructured the whole Mahabharatha in an another way. It opened me an another way of thinking. While reading I was Bhima, I was feeling all the emotions he went through, the feeling of rejection, avoidance and I was travelling around all the place he went, through Hastinapura, Indraprastha, the forest, the battle field of Kurukshetra.
Picturisation of characters and places by M.T in this book is very attractive. This is the first book of M.T. I am hearing about this book from my 7th class itself and I was known about how it is written and all, even though I didn't felt bored. Moreover it was very interesting and I wanted to read it in one stretch. For this amazing work. The unending source of stories that Mahabharatha is.
This time it is M.T.Vasudevan Nair who brings a different facet of the story with his mastery in spinning epics into astounding sequences.Absolutely spellbinding tapestry of event sequences M.T. The episode about Ghatotkacha meeting his father Bhima and the futility of grandiose displayed by Pandavas mocked by simplicity of expression and gesture by Ghatotkacha is matchless. The manipulative nature of relation with Draupathi The unending source of stories that Mahabharatha is. This time it is M.T.Vasudevan Nair who brings a different facet of the story with his mastery in spinning epics into astounding sequences.Absolutely spellbinding tapestry of event sequences M.T.
The episode about Ghatotkacha meeting his father Bhima and the futility of grandiose displayed by Pandavas mocked by simplicity of expression and gesture by Ghatotkacha is matchless. The manipulative nature of relation with Draupathi taking upper hand and belittling Bhima's loyalty and sincerity is epitome of hopelessness. Kunti the ultimate manipulator and survivor for whom the sons were mere pawns. Krishna who is also turned into a mere mortal in the end. MT's talent to spot the untold story remarkably comes out in this monumental retelling of an iconic epic. The icing on the cake is the new version of Bhimsen getting embarrased by Karna in the midst of war.
As justiifed by the author in the epilogue, only MT can see such nuances of a story untold.Keralites are already aware how he made a hero out of Chathiyan Chandu overnight, bringing down to earth with a thud the blue blooded images of Unniyarcha and Aromal Chekavar, in a bold Magnum Opus! MT's talent to spot the untold story remarkably comes out in this monumental retelling of an iconic epic.
The icing on the cake is the new version of Bhimsen getting embarrased by Karna in the midst of war. Today I completed reading a book which I had wanted to read for years but couldn't as I was unable to read Malayalam. I read the English translation Bhima and frankly I was disappointed. I couldn't believe that the book Malayalees swore by could be so boring. And so was determined to read the original. The 328 pages took me longer than reading an English book, but it was such a delight.
Every dialogue brings out the emotional state of the characters in so few words. As I read it, I realised that Today I completed reading a book which I had wanted to read for years but couldn't as I was unable to read Malayalam. I read the English translation Bhima and frankly I was disappointed.
I couldn't believe that the book Malayalees swore by could be so boring. And so was determined to read the original. The 328 pages took me longer than reading an English book, but it was such a delight. Every dialogue brings out the emotional state of the characters in so few words.
As I read it, I realised that for many phrases there could be no equivalent in English and thus reduced the story impact. I enjoyed reading this one. And if you can read Malayalam, pls do read this one.
Bhima - Lone Warrior by M T Vasudevan Nair is a treat for those who love mythological retellings.Narrated with absolute ease and grace, you will find it hard to put the book down.With very little poetic licence, Vasudevan remains loyal to the original text of Mahabharata but brings forth the voice of Bhima.A perspective of the second Pandava. His strength, his loneliness, his confusion and the chaos that reined his heart through his life.His character never drew my attention to be honest. Bhima - Lone Warrior by M T Vasudevan Nair is a treat for those who love mythological retellings.Narrated with absolute ease and grace, you will find it hard to put the book down.With very little poetic licence, Vasudevan remains loyal to the original text of Mahabharata but brings forth the voice of Bhima.A perspective of the second Pandava. His strength, his loneliness, his confusion and the chaos that reined his heart through his life.His character never drew my attention to be honest. Only when I read A Palace of Illusions, where his relationship with Draupadi is illustrated did I even think of him twice.But this retelling, has craved out such depth and intrigue to his character, that it will be difficult to think of Mahabharata without a thought of Bhima.I love how the narration jumps across time in the book (might be difficult to navigate for those who are not familiar with the original story). Because he does not dwell in giving backstories, the book is easy to read and light on the mind.I love how he has interpreted small gaps in the original text to bring in more layers to Bhima's life.Kudos to Gita Krishnankutty for such a seamless translation of this book from Malayalam. Had heard a lot about MTV's Randa Moozham, literally 'the second turn' - the Mahabharata from Bhima's perspective.
Since I cannot read malayalam, was looking for a translation - the earlier translation (McMillan) is out of print - and was delighted when the current translation by Gita Krishnamurthy came out. Other reviewers have opined that the translation does not do justice to the original work. This is quite possible since I was a tad disappointed after reading the book. I had a similar Had heard a lot about MTV's Randa Moozham, literally 'the second turn' - the Mahabharata from Bhima's perspective.
Since I cannot read malayalam, was looking for a translation - the earlier translation (McMillan) is out of print - and was delighted when the current translation by Gita Krishnamurthy came out. Other reviewers have opined that the translation does not do justice to the original work. This is quite possible since I was a tad disappointed after reading the book. I had a similar experience after reading SL.Bhyrappa's Parva in english and kannada - the translation did not do justice to the original. This is likely in the present case as well.There have been several retellings of the Mahabharata from various points of view, the most popular being from Draupadi's. Pratibha Ray's Yajnaseni is a master piece in that category.
There have also been retellings from Karna's view point, with Shivaji Sawant's Mrutyunjaya being the most well known. However, there are no books from Bhima's view point and that is why MTV's narrative stands out.MTV has researched extensively for the writing of the book. He lends a human touch to the events of the epic, stripping them of the supernatural and the divine. The result is a story that is easily relatable to, with the various events easily linked in motive-cause-effect. Several events that are inconsistent have either been explained logically or discarded totally, to keep with the primary narrative.The character of Bhima is very well wrought as is Yudhishthira's. Though there are few scenes of Bhima and Draupadi together, the ones that are narrated are exquisitely written.
The passages during the exile when Draupadi desires for the saugandhika pushpa and when she desires to picnic on the summit of a hill, Bhima's labour to satisfy those desires and Draupadi's callous forsaking show a side of Bhima never before explored. There was certainly more to be explored in the Bhima-Draupadi relationship.Bhima's regret at not having been able to spend time with his first Hidimba, not being able to see his son Ghatotkacha grow up, not caring for his third wife in Kashi are beautifully expressed, in Bhima's words. His regret at not enquiring about his other wives when me meets his sons / messengers from these lands appears callous. However, the author has expressed these in a manner that evokes sympathy for the hero.The best part of the book is the last few chapters, after the Kurukshetra war when Yudhishthira asks Bhima to take over the kingdom as king. Bhima's mind is in conflict and he is about to say yes.
At that moment, Draupadi walks in and has a brief conversation after which, Bhima decides not to take over as king. That brief passage is a masterpiece.
It sets out the characters of Bhima, Draupadi and Yudhishthira, their relationships vis-a-vis each other and the mastery of the author. Just for that, this is a 4.0 rather than 3.5.Overall, highly recommended for the different point of view and an exploration of Bhima's character in a manner never attempted before. Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (Malayalam: മഠതതില തെകകെപാടട വാസുദേവന നായര) (born 9 August 1933), popularly known as MT, is a renowned Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj. He is one of the most prolific and versatile Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (Malayalam: മഠത്തില് തെക്കെപാട്ട് വാസുദേവന് നായര്) (born 9 August 1933), popularly known as MT, is a renowned Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj.
He is one of the most prolific and versatile writers in modern Malayalam literature. In 2005, India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan was awarded to him.
He was awarded the highest literary award in India Jnanpith for his work Randamoozham.More information.