It’s been less than a year since her first book Mahabharata Unravelled was published, and Ami Ganatra is already ready with her next on Ramayana.
Although the revered epic has been retold and reimagined countless times across geographies and cultures, Ganatra’s Ramayana Unravelled aims to bring to fore the lesser-known nuances that shaped Ramayana and why its key people took the decisions that they did. It delves into several important questions such as, how was Rama and Sita’s relationship? Is Ramayana inherently misogynist, considering its treatment and characterisation of women like Sita, Shurpanakha, Kaikeyi, and Tara?
An alumna of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) with over 15 years of experience in business strategy and consulting, Ganatra, through her new book, urges readers to examine the text with a critical gaze but with a genuine curiosity to learn and evolve and not with the intention to dismiss. She writes, “An honest analysis should take into account the overall context, including the past and the present behaviour, and not just a single event in isolation.”
Here, she discusses how she went about writing Ramayana Unravelled, her thoughts on Ram, the women, popular misconceptions about central characters, the growing popularity of mythological fiction, and why Ramayana, much like Mahabharata, continues to be as relevant today as it was in its time.
Q. Was it easy to write this one?
A. Mahabharata Unravelled was more difficult as it was the first project and I had to really think through what to take and what to leave. With Ramayana Unravelled, it was relatively easier because of the previous experience and I knew what I wanted to focus on. Ramayana is also a smaller epic compared to Mahabharata. Hence, most events are known to people. Nevertheless, there are many nuances even in those events which are rarely spoken of leading to misunderstanding of the motivations behind the actions. It is in these nuances that the deep wisdom of Ramayana shines forth and that is the book’s focus.
Q. What is your writing process like?
A. Usually, I decide the key themes and events that I want to capture and develop a draft table of contents to give the book an overall structure. Then I start building around the chapters. Of course, the eventual ToC is usually different from the first one but it gives a starting point.
Q. What were your primary sources of research?
Gita Press’s Valmiki Ramayana with some referencing from the Baroda Critical Edition of the Valmiki Ramayana.
Q. Though he is revered by millions even today, Ram was a complicated man. What is his one character trait that befuddles you the most?
A. I would say, he wasn’t as complicated as he is misunderstood today by many, as evident in your question itself. More than befuddled, I am rather amazed by how a man can feel every emotion so deeply but still not let them colour his decision-making or make him lose sight of the eventual goal. I do hope I have been able to bring out this part of Shri Ram's personality in the book.
For instance, when he decided to accept vanvaas — he was deferring to his father's wishes, but it wasn't the only reason. There was a more profound thought process at play which I have elaborated on in the book. Also, how deeply Ram and Sita felt for each other is the stuff of relationship goals. And it was this bond that drove the decisions they made in life.
In trying to judge the actions too soon, we lose out on understanding the real motivations and intentions. If we understand them, then maybe it'll change the way we look at the events, which in turn might help distil some learnings for our own lives and dealings. I have written about many such instances in Ramayana Unravelled.
Q. Who do you think is the most misunderstood character from Ramayana?
A. I would not say misunderstood, but there is so much more to all key characters in Ramayana than what is usually spoken of. I have mentioned briefly about Ram. Let's look at some others. Laxman is not an angry young man but one with deep emotional intelligence. The way he manages the grieving Ram during their time in vanvaas after Sita is kidnapped is fascinating.
Sita too is not at all a meek lady as some make her out to be. She has a mind and a voice of her own. And she is not afraid to make it count. Then there is Hanuman. We all know of his exploits but not much is spoken about what made him act the way he did. He is called ‘Buddhimatam Varishtham — the greatest amongst the intelligent ones’ for a reason.
Ravan is another example. His glorification is more recent through retellings which aim to give him a heroic aura attributing his 'not touching' Sita to his respect for consent, or his kidnapping of Sita as proof of his love for his sister. This is not what Rishi Valmiki tells us about Ravan.
Q. Ramayana is populated by several alpha men — Ram, Laxman, Hanuman, Ravan — but it has some very strong women too. Which three, according to you, are the most underrated?
A. First of all, I am not sure alpha is even the right word to use for others except Ravan. Were they physically and mentally strong? Absolutely. Did they have high self-esteem? Sure. But did that make them necessarily domineering to have their way? I wouldn't say so. In fact, Shri Ram's life was shaped largely by the women in his life and those he encountered, be it Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, Sita, or even Shurpanakha. All the women characters in Ramayana are strong, know how to speak their minds and even have their way.
Q. What do you think of Indian mythological fiction that has gained such massive popularity among readers?
A. Creativity should be encouraged across genres. However, the distinction between fiction and ‘itihasa’ must be clear. That line often gets blurred in the minds of the readers, many times due to how the works position themselves. But then that is also what creates space for books such as Mahabharata Unravelled and Ramayana Unravelled, which help bring about clarity, or so I hope.
Q. Ramayana is a vast and all-encompassing text. Everyone can learn something different from it. But what is your one underlying takeaway from it?
A. Our rishis had a very clear objective in mind while compiling our itihasa, namely Mahabharata and Ramayana — to illustrate to us how to lead fruitful lives through the examples of our ancestors and also help us develop the fortitude to live in a manner that’s socially and culturally sustainable. Fortitude is important because life, unfortunately, is not one fairy tale with supposed happy endings. Things don't always go our way. But then 'our way' may not even be the right way. Our constant struggle is to navigate between what we want and what we should. Our epics bring out this struggle beautifully.
So my takeaway from Ramayana (which is applicable equally to Mahabharata) is that life is not binary. There is no escaping the dharma sankatas (ethical dilemmas). The available options may not always be the most optimal but you still need to take decisions. It is how we take these decisions that separate the bad, the good and the best among us.
Read other pieces by Sneha Bengani here.
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