Shakuni: Paason ka Maharathi
Ashutosh Nadkar
2019
Juggernaut
pp. 239
(audiobook Storytel production 2021)
The story of Shakuni is well known as part of the great war between the Kuru brothers, in Mahabharat. Portrayed as the villain in almost all versions of Mahabharata, Shakuni’s tale has been narrated from his voice in this book. Nadkar’s version is a retelling of the popular episodes of the Mahabharata. So if you are familiar with the tale, there will not be much new in the book except that it is refreshing to hear it from a different voice. The book is slightly long for a tale which is so familiar. This may appear so because I found the rendition on Storytel too slow. I kept increasing the pace at which I was listening till I finally reached double the speed. In this book on storytel, I think there was something amiss in the editing as well, with the name of the author misread in the last minute, and the chapters did not seem in the correct sequence. The original may have been more enjoyable.
I appreciate any book that presents characters in shades of grey. To pick up Shakuni who is such a main character and yet relegated so much to the sidelines. I have read many versions of the epic tale but this is the first time I am reading it from Shakuni’s perspective. It is particularly nice that there was no attempt to paint him as all good but as someone who made mistakes, in his attempt to right the wrongs done to his family.
A word on the narration. The attempt by Vinod Kulkarni to narrate the tale is much appreciated. He was emotive and diction of Hindi is incredible. But, to listen to the whole book, in this tone, was very difficult. I suggest listening to it chapter by chapter and not in one go as I usually do.