What if the tale is not something that you have read or heard all the time from each source? How about an in-depth look to what it could have been, rather than just having a quick look into what came 0ut from Samudra manthan and how Mohini's act saved Devas all along? or was it?
Anuja Chandramouli's latest, Mohini: The Enchantress travels to this era beautifully with her prowess over mytho-fiction as always. As she says at one place 'Unlike stories, dreams have neither the beginning nor an ending'; same way the tale of Mohini neither starts with churning of the ocean nor it ends afterwards. It starts way earlier and travels thru eons, covering known and lesser known storylines, like those of Bhrigu and Kavyamata, Nara-Narayan, Chandra and Tara, and even we get to visit Kurukshetra. All these with a beautiful version of its own-of the famous churning of ocean. Very well articulated scenario which actually make us believe the importance of such huge exercise the sons of Diti and Aditi did carry out. Anuja keeps us engaged with her beautiful wordplay and creating scenarios which makes you remind of stories you have grown up reading - but with all the fresh outlook here. Mohini-is omnipresent, ofcourse, even now. How else would the world go on with the monotonus life? She is here forever to stay. Watching the dance of destiny with her own eyes wihle Bhumi Devi will soon be needing another churning of ocean, as we keep on looting her resourcing as shamelessly as it happened eons back.
The book is definitely recommended for mytho-fiction lovers (do I actually need to write so? This is her 11th book and it is very obvious). This is way better than just plain retelling of great epics. Absolutely imaginative and wonderfully executed.
Oh, and did I say how gorgeous the cover is? A fab design by Mugdha and Onkar Fondekar. Loved the sea green theme.
