Her first book was a racy thriller — five college girls leading happy-go-lucky lives till they suddenly find themselves being targeted by a serial killer. Set in the city, The Madras Mangler took an eerie look at some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. With her second book though, author Usha Narayanan, shifts gears and explores the mythological genre with Pradyumna: Son of Krishna . Fascinated by this little-known or written about mythological hero, Usha’s latest book explores his journey, from being just another man to discovering his legacy and the rise of this swashbuckling hero.
“Pradyumna, as a character, has always fascinated me. Even the hero in my first book was called Vir Pradyumna,” smiles Usha, elaborating, “Despite being the son of Krishna, not much is known about him, while even Anirudha, Krishna’s grandson, is better known. My book is about Pradyumna discovering his heritage and whether he decides to fight the evil that has taken over society with the dawn of Kaliyuga, the worst of the four ages.”
A gold medallist in English Literature from the University of Madras, and a former advertising and corporate communications professional, Usha believes that her book is relevant to society as it is today. “It is relevant to people who struggle with day-to-day challenges; it is about surviving in an unforgiving world. Pradyumna represents all of us,” she says. Her focus, she explains, while writing the book, was to weave several layers together to form one seamless tale of love and heroism.
The book, she also hopes, will be an initiation of sorts for people into the life of the lesser-known mythological figure. While it caters to a cross-section of audiences and has liberal doses of action, romance and suspense, one of her first readers of this book happens to be a 10-year-old girl. “It was a pleasant surprise to meet her. She had read the e-book and came to me to get the hard copy signed. On the other hand, I also seem to have touched a lot of adults, who’ve appreciated the style of writing, apart from the fact that it uncovers lesser-known facets about Pradyumna,” says Usha.
Writing the book was a challenge, she says, since not much information is available on her lead protagonist. “Apart from what’s written in regional languages, in English, there is hardly any literature or translated works on Pradyumna. My research took me to Dwaraka, where I met a man at a temple, who had been researching Krishna and his line of descendants. It was fascinating to hear him narrate tales about the clan,” she says.
With the book receiving appreciation, Usha is all set to pen the sequel. “It will pick up from where the book left off and should be out by June 2016,” says the author, who has a rom-com set in the media world set to release in a month’s time.
