Sita

Reading two different versions of Sita’s story in quick succession was a deliberate attempt. We have heard and read Ramayana from a male perspective often. I have read a few different versions of it, including the essay Three hundred Ramayanas… In this endeavour, I wanted to see how writing from a woman’s perspective can also be varied when written by authors whose writing styles are vastly different.
While the one by Amish was a quick read, the one by Pattanaik was a more demanding exercise, needing time to reflect. Amish writes in the popularised fiction manner with an emphasis on contemporarising the practices. There is an effort to justify what was then a stance and bring in issues of feminism, political discourse and sociological underpinnings in what was happening, or presumed to be happening at that time. His writing is fast paced. If you haven’t read any other version of the Ramayana, Amish’s work is his interpretation and you are sure to mix up with what is there in the original story. But then again, are we sure of what is there in the original story?

This is in fact, the starting point of Pattanaik’s writing. In his work, he asserts, the story of Ramayana, like all other episodes in Hindu mythology have no beginning, nor end. Time is cyclical. There is no attempt to justify the magical, and mythical. What is unbelievable in the various versions of Ramayana, remains so. The same episodes, in the two books, are treated completely differently. Amish justifies them with logic. If for this, he needs to modify the storyline, he will. Pattanaik justifies them on account of retellings of Ramayana, drawing upon references to the various retellings of the story across the world.

I liked Pattanaik’s work better because it is as much academic as is mythological. I have often complained after reading Pattanaik’s works that in the absence of references I don’t know what is based on texts and what is his interpretation. I guess he heard me. The book has extensive references. But the book is not written in a narrative form, but is more episodic. You can read one episode a day and reflect on it for days together. Amish’s version is written in a flowing fast paced, story.
Take your pick!

Every Book has a Story
I picked up Pattanaik’s from the local market one day. I love his writing and his drawings. And some day hope to read all his books. Amish’s was a gift from a friend. Since I had both, I timed them to draw these parallels. A big thank you to my book gifting friends who help me read more. In this case, Manisha.