Was she wrong or was she wronged?

Aditi Garg

Even those of us who are not interested in epics or mythological stories that form a part of our religious literature know the key characters as black or white. These epics provided very little in terms of shades and all characters were either good or evil. In The Ramayana, one of the most despised characters is that of Surpanakha, Ravana’s sister. It is through examples of Ram and Ravana that good and bad are depicted in these scriptures. Delve a little deeper, read a few alternate versions and you find yourself questioning these portrayals. Many alternative views of legendary characters expose us to the possibility of the unsaid and unwritten. 

  Kavita Kané is a novelist who started out as a journalist and has under her belt bestsellers like Karna’s Wife — The Outcast’s Queen, Sita’s Sister and Menaka’s Choice. An English literature and Mass Communications post-graduate, she is a movie and cinema buff. She has chosen to write yet again about a character who has been sidelined and given her a retelling that defines her traits a bit better. 

Surpanakha, the much-hated princess of Lanka, who was mutilated by the righteous Lakshman, gets a chance to redeem herself or at least tell her side of the story through this book. The author starts with a tale of reincarnation that explains how Karna and  Surpanakha were a part of cycle of life. Kané sets out to explore Surpanakha’s transformation from the name that the princess was born with, Meenakshi, the ‘fish-eyed girl’, to being the monster ‘as hard as nails.’ 

While her mother was wary of her right from the start, she was a favourite with her father and even her brothers loved her. She always stayed at loggerheads with Ravana and had a stubborn streak. Not the one to take things lying down, she never let anyone push her around, not even the universally feared mighty King Ravana of Lanka. A sharp tongue and a hot head made for a lethal combination that didn’t go down well with many around her, especially when coming from a woman. The book is a good attempt at humanising the she-demon.

  The book is an engrossing read. A tauter editing could have made it even better. The language becomes a bit repetitive at places. Nevertheless, it’s a good way to pass your time and know lesser-known characters from the epic.