ANAND NEELAKANTAN’S VANARA: THE LEGEND OF BAALI, SUGREEVA AND TARA- A SUBALTERN NARRATIVE

Abstract

            During past 10-15 years, a new trend has invited global attention from Indian English fiction led by the contemporary writers like Amish Tripathi, Ashok Banker, Pratibha Ray, and Anand Neelakantan. They have essentially chosen the right themes and narrative concepts, though modern in content, language, and style, have put their unique state among the modern readers. Several established theories and principles have been challenged with the application of fresh perspectives. In the similar line, in the novel, Vanara: The Legend of Baali. Sugreeva, and Tara, Anand Neelakantan rethinks of modified character portrayal especially challenging the popular Ramayana characters Baali and his brother Sugreeva. The author strongly disagrees with defaming Baali and his sacrifice as being villainous counterpart; rather, the author raises the character win the favour of readers for his graceful bahaviour and heroic actions in building the empire for the Vana Naras, i.e. the monkey tribe. The present article underlines Neelakantan’s novel not as an art form but his Hercules attempt made towards uplifting the age-old marginalised monkey tribe of the Vanaras.