Udayan-The Forgotten Pandava-Rajendra Kher

Book: Udayan-The Forgotten Pandava

Author: Rajendra Kher

Publisher: Platinum Press (Leadstart Corp)

How often do you get to read a story that tells you the happenings after a very epic and a known event?

Udayan-The Forgotten Pandava is the story of Udayan, the direct descendant of Arjuna, taken from what remains from the third great epic of India, the Bruhatkatha. We meet our protagonist and the namesake, Udayan, who is the Emperor of Bharatvarsha, but is more inclined towards his heart which leans towards the Veena. A supremely gifted Maestro, he prefers playing the Veena over his duties as a King and the kingdom is expertly managed by his Maha Amatya, or the Prime Minister Yaugandharayan. Things take a turn when the kingdom begins to disintegrate because they start losing wars and yet the King shows no inclination towards his duties. On the other hand, his desire to catch a White Elephant, with the power of his Veena drives him to such a level of obsession that he gets entrapped in an elaborate espionage plan by the King of Pradyot. It is also the story of how he falls in love with Pradyot’s daughter and elopes with her, under the very nose of her father.

The plot of the book is very well written and is very refreshing to read as it is quite different from the retellings of the various epics that has become the latest trend. The author has taken up the story from the folktales, the background of which is very well explained. The twists and turns of the book are engaging and keep the tempo of the book in a good pace. The plot points are very well spun, and the storyline does not break in between. Some parts of the climax are predictable but that does not bring down the charm of the book.

Talking about the characters, the author has created distinct personalities for each of the characters that we encounter in the book. Be it the Veena Playing Udayan who is easy going and prefers passion over duties or be it Yaugandharayan, who is ever-so-serious, duty-bound and stickler for the rules, or for that matter Princess Vasavadatta, who is love-struck yet chooses duty over jealousy and enmity. The author has given due space for emotions to be expressed and that is something that gives an edge to this book.

It is a refreshing and a wonderful read. Definitely recommended.

The book certainly struck a chord and a musical note with 3.5 notes hummed out.