The Myth Maker

Anand Neelakantan’s Nala Damayanti is the latest in his retellings of popular Indian myths with contemporary undertones

- Amit Dixit

Anand Neelakantan specialises in telling tales from the perspective of unusual characters, often the antagonists

From a prosaic job at the Indian Oil Corporation to top-selling author and screenwriter—not to mention the occasional acting stint—Anand Neelakantan has come a long way. He tasted success with his very first book, Asura: Tale of the Unvanquished (2012). “The job had got hectic and boring when I started writing. When Asura became a runaway bestseller, it opened up opportunities in both books and television,” says Neelakantan. “So, 11 years since my first book, here I am, with 13 books, including the official prequel for Bahubali, more than 600 hours of television and two OTT shows to my credit. It happened like a dream.”

The high points of Neelakantan’s career so far are the three prequel novels he wrote for S.S. Rajamouli’s Bahubali movie series, the first being The Rise of Sivagami (2017). Recalling the experience of writing them, he says, “When S.S. Rajamouli invited me to be the official chronicler of the Bahubali prequel, I was scared of my inadequacy. Writing the backstory of an immensely popular film and that too completing a three-book, epic-sized work in less than 18 months, was daunting. However, with more than 40 characters and an intricate plot, I think I redeemed decently well with this project. They remain some of my favourite works.”