Author of 'Baahubali' Book Series to explore Vanara Kingdom next

The author of 'Baahubali' book series, Anand Neelakantan, is all set to explore the Vanara kingdom from Ramayana in his next novel titled 'Vanara'. He plans to look at its king Baali, his brother Sugreeva and their relationship with Tara, the woman whom they both loved.

Anand feels that the aspect of Vanaras and their kingdom was not explored much in the Ramayana, and thus, he would explore the depths of the kingdom in his next book, 'Vanara: The Legend of Baali, Sugreeva and Tara'. It is probably the world's first love triangle, according to the author.

Anand believes that every story has sides which are unexplored and unheard of. One should never believe anything without questioning. There are no pure truths and pure lies. Truth is just a matter of perspective. Through his work, Anand tries to reiterate the unseen side of renowned stories and explores age-old epics from different angels.

His next novel traces the story of Baali and Sugreeva, who were orphan brothers mocked for being 'monkey men'. Crushing between the never-ending war between the devatas and asuras, Baali was determined not to die miserably. He resolved to create a separate kingdom for the vanaras, called 'Kishkindha', a place without any discrimination. But, the brothers meeting Tara, a physician's daughter, was a significant event - which would eventually change the destiny of the brothers and the kingdom forever. Loved by Baali and lusted by Sugreeva, the book explored the dynamics of a relationship which caused a fraternal war altering history forever.

READ: Here Are The Shortlisted Books For The Man Booker Prize 2018

WHO IS ANAND NEELAKANTAN?

Anand is an established author, columnist, screenwriter and television personality. He is known to give voice to lesser-heard characters in stories relating to mythology. He has penned six novels until now and is hugely popular for the same. His debut work, 'Asura: The Tale of the Vanquished' was an instant bestseller which depicted Ramayana from the viewpoint of Ravana. In his second and third book, 'Ajaya: Roll of the Dice', and 'Ajaya: Rise of Kali', he gave voice to the Kaurava clan of Mahabharata narrating it from Duryodhana's perspective.

His next trilogy on the blockbuster, 'Baahubali', was a rage all around. It narrated the story of the Mahishmati kingdom ''before the beginning'' and gave voice to Sivagami and her rise. According to reports, 'Baahubali'-director, S S Rajamouli, has announced a series based on Neelakantan's trilogy.

The book, 'Vanara', will be available in stores from November 13.