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Appropriation and Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of

Master of Philosophy in English Studies

by Lakshmi Dileep Reg. No. 1334104

Under the Guidance of Renu Elizabeth Abraham Assistant Professor

Department of English

CHRIST UNIVERSITY BENGALURU, INDIA DECEMBER 2015 Dileep 2

Appropriation and Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of

Master of Philosophy in English Studies

by Lakshmi Dileep Reg. No. 1334104

Under the Guidance of Renu Elizabeth Abraham Assistant Professor

Department of English

CHRIST UNIVERSITY BENGALURU, INDIA DECEMBER 2015 Dileep 3

Approval of Dissertation

Dissertation entitled Appropriation and Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish

Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy by Lakshmi Dileep, Reg. No. 1334104, is approved for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in English Studies.

Examiners:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Supervisor(s):

______

Chairman:

______

Date: ______

Place: Bengaluru Dileep 4

DECLARATION

I, Lakshmi Dileep hereby declare that the dissertation, titled Appropriation and Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy is a record of original research work undertaken by me for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in English Studies. I have completed this study under the supervision of Ms.Renu Elizabeth Abraham, Assistant Professor, Department of English.

I also declare that this dissertation has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, associate ship, fellowship or other title. It has not been sent for any publication or presentation purpose.

Place: Bengaluru Date: ………………… Lakshmi Dileep Reg No. 1334104 Department of English Christ University, Bengaluru Dileep 5

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation submitted by Lakshmi Dileep (Reg. No. 1334104) titled Appropriation and Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy’ is a record of research work done by her during the academic year 2013-2015 under my supervision in partial fulfillment for the award of Master of Philosophy in English Studies. This dissertation has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, associate ship, fellowship or other title. It has not been sent for any publication or presentation purpose.

Place: Bengaluru Date: Signature of the Guide Ms Renu Elizabeth Abraham Assistant Professor Department of English Christ University, Bengaluru

Signature of the Head of the Department

Department of English

Christ University, Bengaluru Dileep 6

Acknowledgement

The last two and half years of being a research scholar have both been a rewarding and a humbling experience. This experience taught me a lot in life not only in terms of academics but also time management and juggling my personal and professional life along with the research.

First and foremost, I wish to thank Almighty God for giving me the strength to keep going in spite of the hardships along the way.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Christ University, Bengaluru as well the

Department of English for providing the opportunity to be part of the institution. I wish to thank

Professor John Joseph Kennedy, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and Dr Abhaya N B for their support and guidance.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my guide Ms Renu Elizabeth Abraham.

This thesis would not have been possible without the able guidance of Ms Renu. Her constructive criticism, though overwhelming at times has made me a better student and researcher and helped me widen my knowledge. Thank you maam for being patient with me and

I would also like to apologise for the inconvenience caused due to my negligence.

I am also grateful to Mr Biju I P and Ms Anupama Nair, my internal examiners for their valuable suggestions and ideas. I would also like to thank Mr Joseph Edward Felix and Mr

Joshua G, MPhil Coordinators for their support and patience.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Sushma V Murthy, Assistant Professor for her kind words of comfort and encouragement and for inspiring me to be a teacher like her. I am grateful to Ms Shobana Mathews and Ms Sreelatha R for their valuable inputs.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to my place of work Mount

Carmel College. I am grateful to Ms Mary Mathew, head of the department for inspiring me to be better research scholar and a teacher like her. I would also like to thank all my colleagues in Dileep 7

the Department of English for supporting and encouraging me. Special thanks to Ms Mabel

Cynthia Mascarenhas, Ms Sheryl Puthur and Ms Priya Sunil for critiquing the initial drafts of my thesis. My sincere gratitude to Ms Gargi Dutta for being my person.

I would also like to acknowledge the wonderful group of friends from my MPhil batch,

Rajarajaeshwari Ashok, Durga Nayar, Divya R, Laxmi Pant and Vidya Balakrishnan. Raji, I am sincerely grateful for the words of encouragement and support and I will miss our chatting session. Durga, I am inspired by your mental strength and would like to thank you for the support. Vidya, thank you so much for being my partner in crime.

Words cannot express my gratitude towards my family. My parents and my brother have always been my source of comfort and strength. I am equally grateful to my parents in law for their encouragement and support. I would also like to thank my cousins for their support.

My utmost gratitude to the most special person in my life, my husband Suman. Thank you so much for being my pillar of strength and support. Your words of encouragement truly inspired me to be a better scholar and a better person. Dileep 8

Abstract

This dissertation titled Appropriation and Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy examines the appropriation of mythology and the commercialization of mythology. It seeks to examine how the author has appropriated the ancient mythology into the popular fiction genre as well as the impact of commercialization on mythological fiction and the positioning of the author in today’s commercialized society.

The dissertation employs theories related to popular culture and commercialization and uses textual and discourse analysis. It argues that Tripathi’s appropriation of the mythology resulted in the commodification of the mythology as well as the commodification of the author.

Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy is a retelling of the Shiva myth and has foregrounded the human side of Shiva. The author has adopted a contemporary style of narrative and has used simple and common place language. The relatable characters and the incorporation of the contemporary issues popularized the Trilogy. The author was also instrumental in undertaking a promotional drive that revolutionized the Indian publishing industry.

The dissertation examines the socio- cultural and ideological indoctrination used by

Tripathi so as to appropriate the ancient mythology into the contemporary narrative framework.

It also looks into concept of commercialization, commodification and culture industry and how it has impacted the mythological fiction genre. The dissertation will also examine the process of commodification of the author and the concept of the author as a literary celebrity.

Terry Eagleton’s essay “Author as a Producer” and Wenche Ommundsen’s essay “From the Altar to the Market Place and Back Again: Understanding Literary Celebrity” will be examined to study the position of the author in the present commercialized society. John Fiske’s essay “Commodities and Culture” will be examined to understand the popular texts and its requirements. Dileep 9

Mythological fiction is gaining popularity in India in recent times. Hence a study conducted in this area is relevant and it falls under the domain of popular culture studies.

Keywords: Mythology, Popular Fiction, Shiva Trilogy, Appropriation, Commercialization,

Commodification, Culture Industry, Marketing, Celebrity Author. Dileep 10

Table of Content

Approval of Dissertation i

Declaration ii

Certificate iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract vi

Chapter I: Introduction 1-22

Chapter II: Appropriation of Mythology 23-40

Chapter III: Commercialization of Mythology 41-56

Conclusion 57-61

Bibliography 62-66 Dileep 11

Introduction

Myths and mythology hold an important role in shaping our consciousness and provide an understanding of the world around us. Devdutt Pattanaik in his book Myth= Mithya: A

Handbook of Hindu Mythology (2006) describes myth as a cultural construct, a common understanding of the world that binds individuals and communities together and mythology as a vehicle of the mythic idea and constitutes stories, symbols and rituals that make a myth tangible.

Myth and mythology casts an important influence on culture and at the same time the culture also profoundly influences myth and mythology which is emphasised by Pattanaik when he says in his introduction to the book, “People outgrow myth and mythology when myth and mythology fail to respond to their cultural needs” (Pattanaik xv). Mythical stories are psychologically relevant for the development of a community. Myth and mythology has been a source of inspiration for artists and writers all over the world and has now emerged as one of the popular genres in literary fiction and non-fiction writing.

In India, the two great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata serve as both religious scriptures and as a rich source of philosophy and morality. Ramayana originally believed to be written by Valmiki, has being retold by various writers over the years, interpreting and modifying the original in accordance with the changing mores of their society. In the history of world literature, the numerous Ramayana retellings and reinterpretations have attained an almost canonical status. Indian tradition hails it as the adikavya, the first poem and attributes it to adikavi Valmiki. However, Valmiki Ramayana cannot be considered to be the definitive text.

There was not only Hindu, but also Buddhist and Jaina versions of the Ramayana. It was re-told in every major Indian language and in the centuries after Valmiki’s composition, countless poets and playwrights have constantly replenished the Ramayana tradition with their own Dileep 12

interpretations. Though Valmiki Ramayana is the most influential of them all, the retellings by

Kamban and Thulsidas are also prominent.

Ramayana has been a major influence in Indian literature and like all legends and epics; its ready-made theme and characters can be rewritten and reinterpreted. Paula Richman in her introduction to the book Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia quotes Romila Thapar in relation to the plurality of Ramayana narratives, “The Ramayana does not belong to any one moment in history for it has its history which lies embedded in the many versions which were woven around the theme at different times and places” (Richman 4).

According to Thapar the multiple Ramayana narratives reflect the social location and ideology of those who appropriate it. She writes:

The appropriation of the story by a multiplicity of groups meant a multiplicity of

versions through which the social aspirations and ideological concerns of each

group were articulated. The story in these versions included significant variations

which changed the conceptualization of character, event and meaning. (4)

Writers like R K Narayan, AK Ramanujan and Anita Desai have attempted to reinvent the ancient myth which is in tune with the contemporary times. Various critics and writers are also questioning the divinity accorded to Rama which many believe was a result of the later interpolation. Few were also critical of the success of the televised Ramayana which many believed would lead to a homogenization of dominant narrative tradition and marginalization of the alternate narratives and would result in cultural loss.

In recent times the various Ramayana retellings have undergone a massive change with regards to its ideological perspective and setting. Ramayana has entered the science fiction with the comic book series, Ramayana 3392 AD by Shamik Dasgupta and Anand Dileep 13

Neelakantan’s Asura: Tale of the Vanquished subverts the traditional ideology by narrating the story from the point of view of the vanquished, Ravana.

Suvira Jaiswal in the chapter titled “Social Dimensions of the Cult of Ram” from

Religion in Indian History (2007), edited by Irfan Habib examines the evolution of the cult of

Rama over the years which she attributes to the changing socio-cultural revolution in the society.

Thus Rama who was portrayed as human by Valmiki has transformed into a God with massive cult following by the authors like Kamban, Tulsidas and Kabir so much so that Kings were designated to be the incarnation of Rama and Mahatma Gandhi envisioned a ‘Ramarajya’ for the proper governance in India (Jaiswal 78-85). According to the author, the massive popularity of the Rama cult especially in the Hindi belt was formulated as a measure to combat the invasion of the Muslim rulers. Rama who was portrayed primarily with human qualities and follies by

Valmiki, was later presented as a mythic superhero in accordance with the evolving society, a tradition initially attributed to the Tamil Alvars and later carried out by Kamban, Tulsidas and

Kabir. Jaiswal also discusses the Brahmanization of the Rama cult as well as the strong resistance shown by the upper class members against the vernacularization of the epic. The author is also critical of the discriminatory tendencies shown by the later day writers against lower caste by citing the example of Sambuka, a sudra who was killed by Rama in the name of

Dharma. The author has focused her analysis on the evolution of the Rama cult and its socio- cultural implications in the society using the religious myths and symbols associated with Rama as well as the examination of various scriptures associated with the Rama cult over the years

Dinesh Sakalani’s article “Questioning the Questioning of Ramayanas”, published in

2004 by Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, analyses various documents in connection with the historicity of Ramayana in an attempt to locate the approximate time that Ramayana might have originated. The article basically focuses on the several versions of the epic which has evolved over the ages with new stories and concepts being inserted into Ramayana at different Dileep 14

stages of India’s evolution as a nation as well as the evolution of Hinduism itself. The article also throws light on various other ancient Jain and Buddhist scriptures with storylines similar to the Ramayana. The article highlights the social values implied in Ramayana and argues that they were inserted into the epic due to changing order of the day. The author has formulated his analysis of the evolution of the Ramayana by critically analyzing the literary adaptations of the epic.

David Smith in his book on Hinduism titled, Hinduism and Modernity published in

2003, also invokes the Rama cult and finds a parallel between Rama and Allah as among the

Hindu gods, Rama “least contradicts the Islamic notion of the diety” (Smith 191). The immense popularity of Ramanand Sagar’s television series, the Ramayan (1987) inspired widespread devotion and even a temporary sense of national unity with Sikhs, Muslims as well as Hindus in its cast and among its viewers. The actors became identified with the gods and demons they portrayed, with people touching their feet and seeking their blessings. The series was praised for its ability to deliver a religious subject and ethical issues to a large audience through a commercial medium, though its detractors criticized its overt sentimentality, sexism and overstated morality.

In recent times, authors are focusing their attention on ancient myths and mythical characters and are interpreting it to suit modern sensibilities and are now seen as a hugely popular and commercially viable genre. The dissertation titled, Appropriation and

Commercialization of Mythology: A Reading of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy is an analytical study on the mythological fiction which reworks the traditional mythical framework interspersed with socio-cultural and ideological perspectives and also examines the commercialization of the mythology in modern times.

Mythology which forms part of our innate consciousness evolves according to the changing times and new stories and concepts are added which can be related to the Dileep 15

contemporary age. The process of retelling and reinterpreting mythology helps us to connect with the past and relive the culture. The already familiar mythical characters also undergo subtle changes which is evident in the numerous retellings of ancient mythology by writers over the ages. Hassan Khan in the article titled “The Modern Re-Appropriation of Myth” examines how the sacred myth is re-appropriated in the modern public sphere by comparing localized instances of two specific texts, the Jaiminiya Brahamana in Mahabharata and an issue of Amar Chitra

Katha title Sukanya. He writes, “In a context where traditional heritage is of such great importance, it’s re-appropriation into the public sphere becomes a political act. The tools of modernity interfere with this transmission but, I would argue, are manipulated into this specific representation” (Khan 192).

Shiva is one of the Trinity deities of Hinduism and is the supreme God within

Shaivism, one of the three most important denominations in contemporary Hinduism. Shiva is widely recognized as the ‘Destroyer’ or the ‘Transformer’ and also called as Mahadev, Rudra,

Nataraja and Maheshwara. Various historians believe that Shiva only became a great sectarian

Hindu God only during the later Vedic period. According to Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty, “The earliest mythology of Rudra-Siva reveals a process of assimilation well underway; the dark outsider is already beginning to be included more in fear than in the spirit of devotion which came to characterize the later cult of Siva”. (Hindu Myths 116) Shiva is often depicted as having matted hair and holding a trident in the right lower arm and a crescent moon on his head and sitting on a tiger skin. Chitralekha Singh, in her work, Siva: The Greatest God describes the significance of these symbols. She writes:

Nataraja wears the skin of a tiger, which he himself slew. Ahankara or the skin of egoism is that tiger; it is beastly and ferocious and fiercely fight when attacked, but it has to be killed and Siva could only do so. Desire, which consumes human beings, without even Dileep 16

being satiated, can be compared to a tiger. Siva, by killing the tiger and wearing its skin as apparel shows his complete mastery over desire. (Singh 69)

She also describes the significance of trident as “an important weapon of offence and defence, indicates that Siva is the supreme ruler; master of three attributes (Sattva, Rajas and

Tamas) of three cosmic processes of creation, preservation and dissolution” (Singh 71). Devdutt

Pattanaik in his book 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art illustrates Lord Shiva’s trident which

“indicates the dissolution of the three worlds into one”, the three worlds being “our private world, our public world and all the rest there is.” (Pattanaik 83).

Sivapurana is dedicated to Shiva and he is presented as both an ascetic yogi and as a householder, roles which have been mutually exclusive in Hindu society. He was married to Sati, daughter of Daksha Prajapati who was against her marriage to Shiva. Sati took her own life when Daksha insulted Shiva which led to the beheading of Daksha at the hands of Shiva and his complete renunciation of the worldly pleasures. The absolute devotion of Parvati, the daughter of Himavanth led to their marriage and the Shiva household which comprises of Shiva, Parvati,

Ganesha and Karthikeya is widely considered to be the ideal family by the Hindus.

The mythology of Shiva has undergone subtle changes over the years in accordance with the evolving socio-cultural process in the society. Gavin Flood in his book, An Introduction to

Hinduism (1998) emphasizes on the early tantric rituals associated with Shiva as well as the later absorption of Saivism into the Brahmanical orthopraxy. The author focuses on the early depiction of Shiva as a feared unorthodox ascetic who openly courts pollution and lives in the cremation ground and hence was considered to be originally outside Vedic pantheon (Flood 150).

The author also points towards the paradox associated with Shiva as that of the ideal ascetic and the ideal householder and how the incorporation of the Saiva traditions within the Vedic Dileep 17

pantheon has led the devotees to associate Shiva as more of a householder than that of an ascetic over the years.

Interestingly during the British rule, the Protestants within the British Raj tried to recast

Hinduism as monotheism by positioning Gita as the Hindu Bible thereby ignoring the spiritual texts of other Gods like Shiva. Wendy Doniger in the book On Hinduism says:

By positioning the Gita as the Hindu Bible, the British also validated the worship of

Krishna/ Vishnu as a form of monotheism. But focusing on this single text ignored not

only the many other texts in which other gods, such as Shiva, were similarly represented

as the one and only god, but other parts of the very text in which the Gita occurs, the

Mahabharata, in which Shiva and other gods reveal their powers. (Doniger 16)

The cult of Shiva has garnered massive popularity in the recent times especially in popular culture whether be it graphic novels, comic books and television series. In the early

1990’s television serials like Om Namah Shivay, Shiv Mahapuran and the recent success of the series Devon Ke Dev Mahadev popularized the iconic status of Shiva. Mohit Rana, the lead actor in Devon Ke Dev Mahadev is greeted with devotion in the public, something that was experienced by actors of Ramayan and Mahabharath television series. In an interview given to dnaindia.com, Amish Tripathi discusses the popularity of Shiva among the younger generation.

He says, “Shiva is an exciting — a dancer, the originator of yoga, and he respects women. The fact that he consumes bhang makes him loveable even. It’s rare to find to a God who you can be in awe of and adore at the same time.” (Interview dnaindia.com) Shiva tattoos and rudraksha beads are massively popular among the youth. The graphic novel series Shiva: The Legends of the Immortals by Kshitish Padhy as well as Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy focuses on alternate narratives and is critically and commercially appreciated. Dileep 18

Retelling the ancient epics blurs the distinction between elite culture and the mass culture.

Tapati Guha Thakurta in her article titled “Women as Calendar Art Icons: Emergence of

Pictorial Stereotype in Colonial India” writes:

Ideas and judgments about ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ styles, about refined tastes as

opposed to the common and vulgar, need to be historically situated in the particular

social and ideological milieu in which they are produced. Far from being fixed, the

perimeters of high and low tend to be constantly shifting, even within a specific time

and culture span. (Thakurta 92)

Myths have always fascinated the creative mind of writers and challenged their critical faculty. Kiran Budkuley in the chapter titled “Mahabharatha Myths in Contemporary Writing:

Challenging Ideology”, from Myth in Contemporary Indian Literature (2003) writes:

This preoccupation with myth- whether to create new one or to reconstruct the old-

can be gauged by understanding the relation between the authorial intent behind myths

and their functionality as cultural documents within a continually shifting societal

reality. In creating a new myth, an author puts his/ her own intention to work through the

myth visualized, whereas in the case of re- construction of extant myths, the palpable

functions embodied within the original myth are questioned, challenged, substituted,

negated, reversed or refocused.(Budkuley16)

The immense popularity of mythology and religion in recent times is examined by

Meera Nanda in her work, The God Market: How Globalization is Making India More Hindu

(2009). In the chapter titled “The Rush Hour of the Gods: Globalization and Middle-class

Religiosity”, Nanda discusses the proliferation of religiosity among the middle class well to do young Indian men and women. She says, “Contrary to the classical theories of secularization, scientific, technological and economic development does not invariably lead to a decline of Dileep 19

religiosity” (Nanda 62). The economic independence of the young India has resulted in the revival of ancient mythology in the society and the recent popularity of mythological fiction can also be credited to this phenomenon.

The Indian epics and myths have held an elite position in the literary world earlier and focused mainly on their academic nature. Mythological fiction writing has generated a lot of interest among the readers in India in recent times. Mythology, which has long held the elite position in the Indian literary tradition, has been adapted into the popular fiction genre by writers like Ashok Banker, Amish Tripathi and Ashwin Sanghi. The trend of retelling the ancient Indian myths and epics which started with the publication of Ashok Banker’s Ramayana series in 2003 has taken the popular fiction into a whole new level. Banker and Amish Tripathi are wooing readers with characters cast in a human mould and stories told in a contemporary fast paced style and breathe humanity into characters that most Indians consider to be deities.

This brings freshness to the old stories and makes them more accessible to the new generation of readers who are more accustomed to the fast paced narrative style of Bollywood and Hollywood movies. The elite epics and myths are told in a fast paced contemporary manner and written as a thriller combining the appeal of fantasy and historical fiction. Their modern retelling of the ancient myths and epics blurs the line between the elite high culture and popular culture.

Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy took the popularity of mythological novels to another level with unprecedented advance fees and major movie contracts. The series which sold more than two million copies in print garnered over Rs fifty crores in sales and became the fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur described him as the

‘literary pop star’ of India. Tripathi published the first part of the Shiva Trilogy series in

February 2010 and final book of the trilogy was published in February 2013. Amish Tripathi has based Shiva Trilogy on the concept that all Gods were once humans and divinity was Dileep 20

accorded to them on the basis of the extraordinary deeds that they did during their lifetime. He humanizes Shiva, venerated by millions as Mahadev- the God of Gods and explores the many facets of him that eventually got him the stature of God. Shiva’s wife Sati is his constant companion who herself is a skilled warrior and has a mind of her own.

In India, popular fiction is emerging as the most popular literary genre in recent times especially among the youth. The popularity of Chetan Bhagat, Amish Tripathi Ashok Banker,

Ashwin Sanghi is a testament to the emergence of popular fiction into the mainstream literary scenario. Their stories are compelling and relevant to modern India and readers from a variety of backgrounds are able to relate to the situations and characters in their novels. Popular fiction is plot driven fictional work written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, in order to appeal to readers who are already familiar with that genre and it is generally distinguished from literary fiction which includes fictional works that are claimed to hold literary merit. The purpose of popular fiction is to appeal to the general public and hence it is marketed towards the interests of the public. It is often dismissed by literary critics as being ‘formulaic escapism’, clichéd and of poor quality that has nothing to do with reality.

Marxist critics on the other hand do not discount the underlying influence possessed by the popular culture/ popular fiction as the cultural artifacts sometimes mask, alter and customize the reality in arts. The dominant ideology which naturalizes the power of the ruling class is circulated in popular culture and manifests itself as a material force. The study of popular culture addresses both media texts and cultural practices. It is a field that encompasses and interrogates the production, distribution, and interpretation of all popular media forms. One cannot negate the power of the popular and mass media texts which occupy and maintain an influential position among the masses as the sites of cultural practice and inadvertently manipulates their ways of thinking. Dileep 21

Popular Culture Studies mainly focuses on how the culture is made, marketed and consumed. John Fiske in his work, Understanding Popular Culture examines the concept of commodification of popular culture. In the chapter titled, “Commodities and Culture”, he writes,

“To be made into popular culture, a commodity must also bear the interests of the people.”

(Fiske 19) He further elaborates, “Popular culture has to be, above all else relevant to the immediate social situation of the people” (21)

Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer in the essay “Culture Industry: Enlightenment as

Mass Deception”, argues that all forms of the culture industry are designed for profit and is no longer autonomous and are subjected to the interests of money and power. They believed that the society will be manipulated into passivity due to the influence of the forms of the culture industry. Walter Benjamin’s seminal essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical

Reproduction” points to the loss of aura through the mechanical reproduction of the art which leads to the loss of authority and the politicization of art.

The work of art is not devoid of the ideology of the artist and in the commercialized world that we live in; it’s the dominant ideology of the society that often decides what should be consumed by the masses. There are also instances where the literary and cultural texts have gone against the prevalent ideology. The process of retelling and reinterpreting of mythology thereby presents itself with a unique opportunity to revisit the ancient myth and mythology which are ingrained in our cultural consciousness so as to analyse them in the contemporary context. In the age of postmodernism, numerous myths and mythological characters are now being scrutinized under the lens of Gender Studies and Subaltern Studies thereby presenting scope for alternate viewpoints.

The recent success of the mythological fiction writing is significant for various reasons. Many of the authors do not have a background in the field of Classical literature or academia and choose to write in English. The researcher intends to explore research questions Dileep 22

such as, By revisiting and retelling the ancient myths, has the author deviated away or conformed to the traditional norms of mythology? and what is the position of the author in today’s commercialized society?

The objective of the research is to explore in detail Tripathi’s depiction of the mythical characters, the socio-cultural implication of the portrayal of these characters, its relevance in the contemporary period as well as the commercialization of mythology. The area of study falls under the domain of Cultural Studies and Popular fiction

Literature Review

The academic articles on Shiva Trilogy were limited to book reviews and newspaper and web articles on the popularity of the mythological genre as well on the innovative marketing strategies adopted by the authors and their publishers in tune with the contemporary times. Several critics have analyzed Indian mythology and mythical characters and their evolution in accordance with the changing times as well as the socio-cultural and ideological factors that resulted in the perceptional shift among people over the years. In accordance with the present commercialized world that we live in, critics have also examined how mythology and mythical characters are marketed as a commodity.

Dibyajyoti Chaudhuri in an article titled “Shiva as Tibetan hero, Draupadi as Complex and Human Character”, written for Times of India on 11 August 2012, elaborates on the popularity of retelling the ancient Indian myths as pop fiction. Various writers like Amish

Tripathi, Ashwin Sanghi and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni have voiced their opinion in relation to the popularity of mythological fiction in India which they attribute to the economic confidence among the middle class Indians as well as the breaking up of the traditional family structure. The smart new age story telling, humanization of the already familiar mythical characters, contemporary use of language has also contributed to its immense popularity, according to the Dileep 23

writer. The writer also looks at author Manreet Sodhi’s views on the popularity of mythological novels, according to whom; it could be a fad despite its huge success. Chaudhuri also points out the emergence of the domestic market which is favorable for the Indian writers who now don’t feel the compulsion to write for the western market. The article is comprehensive in its examination of the popularity of the mythological novels in India and includes the opinions voiced by writers, publishers, bookstore owners, and common man. The dissertation focuses on the presentation of mythology in popular fiction which is relatable to the contemporary audience as well as its commercial aspect. The above mentioned article examines the various aspects that led to the popularity of mythological fiction.

The Book of Shiva (2001) is a non- fiction work written by Namita Gokhale which examines the various stories related to Shiva and each chapter covers an aspect such as the various manifestations of Shiva, the Shiva- Shakti polarities and the popular legends and scriptural tales. Her studies involved the analysis of the historical documents which finds a parallel between Shiva and the Greek God Dionysus who like Shiva was a priapic god, characteristically symbolized by an erect phallus. She also focuses on the process of cultural annexation of the Shiva cult into the mainstream society.

“The World of Amar Chitra Katha”, by Frances W Pritchett, published in 1995 is a detailed analysis on the Amar Chitra Katha comics based on the traditional Hindu mythological tales and historical figures which are popular in India as well as abroad among Indian immigrants. Though the article focuses on the socio-cultural implication in the portrayal of the mythological and historical characters, Pritchett also examines the unconventional marketing strategies adopted by Anant Pai, editor of the comic series in popularizing the series. The practice of giving free copies to schools, libraries as well as the subscription of the comics annually through mail etc helped in the promotion of the series among children and adults alike.

The translation of the comics into various languages, adapting the comics into various media Dileep 24

formats like audio cassettes, magazines, videotapes etc also resulted in its mass appeal among the readers across the country. Pritchett also points out the dilemma faced by the publishers in terms of the sales versus educational values which is reflected in the increasing presence of advertisement in the comic series in the late 1980’s. Pritchett examines the depiction of the various mythical and historical characters from Amar Chitra Katha in relation to the existing socio- political circumstances during the period. According to her, Amar Chitra Katha is not devoid of political, racial, cultural ideology despite being touted to be an educational tool for the children. The dissertation analyses the commercialization of mythology in popular culture as well as the depiction of the mythical characters in relation to the contemporary ideology that exists in the society and hence the article can be analysed to examine the same.

Kajri Jain’s seminal book titled, Gods in the Bazaar: The Economics of the Indian

Calendar Art (2007) is an investigation on the calendar or Bazaar art in India and its influence on the public and private spaces and also discusses the commercialization of the sacred and religious icons through mass production and circulation. Jain conducts interviews with artistes, printers, publishers, and consumers to examine the co-existence of the seemingly incompatible elements: bourgeois, liberal and neo-liberal modernism on the one hand and the vernacular discourses and practices on the other. The chapter 4 in the book titled, “The Sacred Icon in the

Age of the Work of Art and the Mechanical Reproduction”, is a detailed analysis on the general perception of the fine art and calendar art among the public and on the institution of authorial property and on the commercialization and fetishism in connection with the calendar art. She also projects the ironical situation surrounding the artists whose craft adorns the walls of the rich and the famous, yet there is little recognition and financial stability among them. Through the examination of the Calendar or Bazaar art, Jain draws our attention into the often derided popular art which is regarded to be too ordinary, common place and presents it as vibrant, contemporary and democratic. The dissertation analyses the recurrent struggle between High Dileep 25

Culture and Popular Culture in mythological fiction in India in terms of the depiction of Gods as well as the commercialization of the mythical characters. Hence Jain’s analysis of the commercialization of the sacred icons through calendar art can be related to the study.

Since Shiva Trilogy by Tripathi was published recently, not much academic work was done on them. Mythological fiction writing is fast emerging as one of the most popular literary genre especially among the youth; hence a study conducted in the area will be relevant.

The researcher will employ a combination of textual analysis and discourse analysis for the dissertation. The researcher will employ Marxist theories in connection with popular culture to examine how Tripathi has presented mythology, considered as an elite academic entity, into the popular fiction format and how mythology and mythical characters are depicted in the present commercialized times. Terry Eagleton’s chapter titled “Author as a Producer”, Wenche

Ommundsen’s essay “From the Altar to the Market-Place and Back Again: Understanding Literary

Celebrity”, Walter Benjamin’s article, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” will be examined in relation with the commercialization of art as well as the author in present times.

John Fiske’s chapter titled “Commodities and Culture” in Understanding Popular Culture will be examined to analyse how the dominant ideology in the society decides the process of commercialization.

Chapter Division

Chapter 1- Introduction- the Introduction chapter will present a detailed description on mythology and diverse retellings of mythology, a comprehensive summary of Shiva Trilogy and theories related to Popular Culture and Marxism in relation to the commercialization. The chapter will also include already existing documents in connection with mythology in India, evolution in the depiction of mythical characters over the years as well as the commercialization of mythology in present times. Dileep 26

Chapter II- Appropriation of Mythology in Shiva Trilogy. Here the researcher analyses Shiva

Trilogy on the basis of the portrayal of the mythical characters, its contemporary setting and ideological concerns.

Chapter III- Commercialization of Mythology in Shiva Trilogy - The researcher intends to explore the aspect of commercialization that has enveloped the mythological fiction genre as well as the innovative marketing strategies adopted by the author to promote the series. She will also look into the position of the author as a literary celebrity.

Chapter IV- Conclusion

Popular fiction which had been derided for many years for being too simple and commonplace has emerged as relevant cultural phenomenon in recent years. In India, the popularity of Tripathi, Banker, Sanghi creates a culture of buying and reading books. The popular fiction writers are also challenging the writers of a more literary bent to focus their attention upon an

Indian readership instead of a foreign market. By setting their novels on the mythological framework, the new age mythological fiction writers are challenging the notions of elite high culture and popular culture. The dissertation is an attempt to analyze how these authors have tried to subvert the earlier notions on high culture and low culture in relation to mythology and mythical framework in fiction Dileep 27

Works Cited

Adorno, Theodor and Max Horkheimer. “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass

Deception”. Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader. Ed Redmond, Sean and Su

Holmes, New York: Sage Publications, 2007. Print

Budkuley, Kiran. “Mahabharatha Myths in Contemporary Writing: Challenging

Ideology”. Myth in Contemporary Indian Literature. Ed K Satchidanandan.

New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 2010. Print.

Chandra, Nandini. The Classic Popular:Amar Chitra Katha, 1967-2007. New Delhi: Yoda

Press, 2008. Print.

Chaudhuri, Dibyajyoti. “Shiva as a Tibetan Hero, Draupadi as Complex and Human

Character.” Times of India 11 August 2011. Print.

During, Simon, ed. The Cultural Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 2007. Print.

Fiske, John. Understanding Popular Culture. Oxon: Routledge, 2010. Print.

Flood, Gavin, An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Print.

Gokhale, Namita. The Book of Shiva. New Delhi: Penguin Ananda, 2012. Print

Jaiswal, Suvira, “Social Dimensions of the Cult of Ram”. Religion in Indian History. Ed Irfan

Habib. New Delhi: Tulika Books, 2007. Print.

Khan, Hassan. “The Modern Re-Appropriation of Myth”. Alif: Journal of Comparative

Poetics, No.18, Post-Colonial Discourse in South Asia(1998):174-204. Print Dileep 28

Knott, Kim. Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Print.

Nanda, Meera. The God Market: How Globalization is Making India More Hindu.Noida:

Random House India, 2009. Print.

Pattanaik, Devdutt. Myth=Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology. New Delhi: Penguin

Books India, 2006. Print.

…. The Book of Ram. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2008. Print.

Pritchett, Frances W. “The World of Amar Chitra Katha”. Media and the Transformation

Of Religion in South Asia. Ed Lawrence A Babb and Susan S Wadley. New Delhi:

Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd, 1997. Print

Ryan, Michael. Cultural Studies: A Practical Introduction. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell,

2010. Print. Dileep 29

Chapter 2

Appropriation of Mythology in Shiva Trilogy

This chapter examines Amish Tripathi’s depiction of the mythological characters in

Shiva Trilogy and the appropriation of the mythology. The researcher employs textual analysis and discourse analysis to study the portrayal of the characters as well as to examine the socio- cultural and ideological concerns in the Trilogy. The researcher argues that Tripathi’s presentation of the mythological characters is in tune with the prevalent ideology of the present society and Tripathi has appropriated the mythological characters and the mythological framework so as to cater to the sensibilities of the readers.

Appropriation is the assimilation of a subculture or alternate culture into the mainstream culture in accordance with the ideology prevalent in the society. In recent times mythological fiction has emerged as the most popular genre in India. Myth and mythology which is a reflection of the innate consciousness of a community is reread, rehashed, reinterpreted and contemporized to suit the cultural needs of the present generation. The field of mythological fiction writing in India is dynamic and heterogeneous which facilitates scope for alternate versions and reinterpretations of the traditional epics. Various authors like Ramesh Menon and

Devdutt Pattanaik are more traditional and academic in their treatment of the epic narratives. On the other hand, established authors like Ashok K Banker and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni have deviated from the authoritative mythological narratives and have presented their characters in a Dileep 30

humanized manner. Banker’s Ramayana Series is a blend of fantasy and mythology reminiscent of the western fantasy fiction such as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings Series.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Palace of Illusions is a modern day adaptation of the ancient epic

Mahabharata and has positioned Draupadi as the narrator. Both Banker and Divakaruni are against the classification of their version of the ancient mythology in the pulp mythology genre which according to them lacks seriousness.

The new wave of mythological fiction writers like Amish Tripathi, Ashwin Sanghi,

Anuja Chandramouli, Anand Neelakantan, Rajiv G Menon and Vaibhav Anand focuses on the creative reinterpretation of the myths. Anand Neeelakantan’s Asura: Tale of the Vanquished is the alternate reading of the Ramayana and is from the point of view of Ravana and his book Rise of Kali: Duryodhana’s Mahabharata is from the point of view of Duryodhana. Anuja

Chandramouli’s Arjuna:Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince and Rajiv G Menon’s Thundergod:

The Ascendence of Indra have catapulted the popularity of the mythological fiction. Most of these authors adopt a post modern interpretation of the ancient mythology and deviates from the socio- cultural and ideological conditioning and attempts to give voice to the marginalized characters from the traditional narratives. The treatment of the ancient epics by these writers has also garnered lot of interest among the readers. The juxtaposition of various genres like fantasy, mythology and history has been well received by the readers.

The modern versions of the ancient epic narratives are significant due to relevant issues that figure prominently in them. Most of the writers have humanized their mythological protagonist and has focused on the vulnerable and relatable side of them and has connected the narrative with contemporary issues and ideas.

Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy revolves around the transformation of the uncouth barbarian from Tibet Shiva into an unlikely saviour of millions of people in India who ultimately gains the distinction of becoming a God over the years. Set in the year 1900 BC, Tripathi gave Dileep 31

an earthy and logical twist to the mythological genre written in a contemporary fast paced manner and has utilized a lot of aspects of mythos associated with Lord Shiva and has inserted them into the story.

Tripathi’s formulaic approach to the story telling is evident in the presentation of the characters that are what the readers would want and expect their heroes and antiheroes to be and the mythological genre has been enhanced and beautified for mass appeal. The character of

Shiva is presented in the reins of an ideal mythological hero who is initially unsure of his abilities and is tormented by his tragic past. Shiva is charismatic and intelligent and has a high moral sense of justice. Initially presented as a marijuana smoking uncouth barbarian, Shiva slowly takes upon the mantel of a saviour to millions of people. True to his role as a mythical hero, Shiva undertakes a quest in search of truth, in this case “what is evil?” Over the course of his search for truth, Shiva discovers new knowledge that leads to self discovery. Within the framework of mythology, Tripathi portrays Shiva as a contemporary hero with a lithe muscular body mouthing modern day slang so as to relate to modern audience.

The protagonist Shiva is the charming tribal leader of Gunas settled in Tibet who is in constant conflict with the Pakratis for sustenance. He and his tribe are invited to Meluha by

Nandi and upon arriving in Meluha, they are made to drink Somras which results in Shiva acquiring a blue throat which is recognized as the mark of the saviour of the Suryavanshis against their arch rival Chandravanshis who rule Swadweep. Over the course of his quest for truth, he falls in love and marries Sati, befriends Brihaspati, uncovers the truth about Nagas and ultimately discovers the true evil and declares war against it.

Tripathi has sometimes deviated from the traditional and authoritative narrative of Shiva and has given the Trilogy a new dimension by contemporizing the myriad stories associated with

Shiva and yet sustaining few mythological allusions in connection with the myth of Shiva. In

Sivapurana, Sati’s father Daksha Prajapati was against the marriage of his daughter with the Dileep 32

mendicant Shiva. It is said that Daksha decided to exclude Shiva from the Yagna organized by him which was taken as an insult at her husband by Sati. Upset and angry at her father’s slight, she leapt into the sacred fire, immolating herself. Sati’s death shattered Shiva’s serenity and he took the form of a fanged warrior named Virabhadra and beheaded Daksha and later wandered across the world holding Sati’s corpse. Devdutt Pattanaik in his book Shiva to Shankara:

Decoding the Phallic Symbol (2006) comments:

Sati had brought Shiva in touch with his feelings. In her company he had experienced love. In her absence, he experienced sorrow. Her death made him realize the cruelty of social rules and regulations that often ignore feelings in the quest to establish order. His outrage manifested itself by the overpowering need to destroy the fabric of society itself (Pattanaik

35)

In the Trilogy, Daksha was eager to get his daughter Sati married to Neelkanth Shiva, who has taken up the role of the saviour of Meluhans, to assert his authority over the entire land.

The relationship soon soars after Shiva realizes the negative aftereffects of the Somras and decides to destroy the Somras manufacturing plants in Meluha. Sati’s death at the hands of the

Egyptian assassins sent by Daksha to kill Shiva devastates him and he extracts his revenge upon

Daksha by destroying Meluha with Pashupathastra.

In Sivapurana, the elephant headed God Ganesha was born to Parvathi who created him using the turmeric paste and since the child was born without the intervention of a man, he was named as Vinayaka. It is widely believed that an enraged Shiva beheaded the child as he denied

Shiva to enter Parvathi’s chamber. Shiva resurrected the child by placing an elephant head on the severed neck of the child and named him Ganapati, lord of the ganas. The much feared

Ganesh in the Trilogy is a physically deformed Naga leader, born to Sati but was abandoned by

Daksha. Tripathi alludes to the initial volatile interaction between Shiva and Ganesha by placing

Ganesh, the Naga leader as Shiva’s sworn enemy as Shiva suspects his hand in the destruction of Dileep 33

the Somras plant at Mount Mandar in which Brahaspati was presumed to have been killed.

Ganesh soon gains Shiva’s trust after he saves Karthik from the lion attack

The cover picture of Immortals of Meluha which portrays Shiva as a lone warrior with visible battle scars, ready to take on the world can be compared to the various Hollywood film posters like V for Vendetta, Skyfall whereby the protagonist stands alone in the face of adversity.

The presentation of Shiva with his back being shown in the cover with battle scars is unique since Gods are never shown with their back towards the audience. Tripathi has maintained that

Shiva was a mortal being with exceptional sense of justice and skilled as a warrior whose extraordinary deeds eventually resulted in him attaining God like status. Thakurta while discussing the proliferation of the images of Gods and Goddesses in Bazaar art in her article

“Women as Calendar Art Icons: Emergence of Pictorial Stereotype in Colonial India”, points out how the realistic mode of painting the mythological characters has led to a “kind of humanization and domestication of divinity” (Thakurta 93). The modern readers who are accustomed to muscular film heroes can easily relate to the cover picture of The Immortals of

Meluha which projects Shiva in a more human light.

Fig 2.1 Dileep 34

Tripathi has presented Shiva in the conventional familiar manner in terms of his physical appearance with matted unruly hair, wearing a tiger skin skirt and a trident or a trishul as his choice of weapon. There are also references to the crescent moon and the third eye which are traditionally associated with Lord Shiva which has unique significance in the Hindu mythology.

Shiva also undertakes the quest for truth, a motif used in mythology. In the book The Power of

Myth, Joseph Campbell addresses the issue of a hero’s path towards self-discovery. He comments, “There are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message” (Campbell 152). Thus instances of Shiva saving Nandi from drowning and Sati from the attackers in The Immortals of Meluha automatically garners respect and devotion from them and creates a heroic aura around Shiva. We also see Shiva constantly engaging in spiritual and philosophical debates with Brahaspati and Vasudev Pandits which would eventually lead him to the path of true wisdom.

Shiva possesses a heightened sense of justice, proficient in military tactics and diplomacy despite his humble origins and charismatic enough to evoke absolute devotion among his followers. The depiction of Shiva as an outsider who eventually has the task of saving the people of India is reminiscent of the various literary and cinematic premises most recently seen in Hollywood movies like Avatar, Superman etc. Pramod K. Nayar in Reading Culture: Theory,

Praxis, Politics (2006) brings out the characteristic features of a typical superhero, in the chapter titled ‘Panel Culture: The Comic Book’. According to him “the hero’s devotion to justice overrides even his devotion to the law” (Nayar 100). Joseph Campbell also speaks about the moral objective of a hero, “The moral objective is that of saving a person, or supporting an idea.

The hero sacrifices himself for something-that’s the morality of it” (Campbell 156) Thus Shiva’s decision to attack the Chandravanshis and Nagas and his eventual attack on Meluha is based on Dileep 35

his sense of justice. Although Shiva was inspired by Lord Ram’s principles and ideals, he denounces the Vikarma system and the caste system that exists in the Meluhan society.

Shiva’s proficiency in the military tactics is evident in the innovative methods that he adopts in his battle against the Chandravanshis in The Immortals of Meluha. Shiva’s army adopts a tortoise shell like formation using their shields, a method utilized by the ancient Roman army in reality and the use of the trident for better adaptability in the war projects Shiva as a natural tactician.

Along with his martial exploits, Shiva’s expertise as a dancer and singer is also established by the author. In The Immortals of Meluha, Shiva showcases his dancing prowess in front of Sati and others who are mesmerized by it. The author also evokes the famous Nataraj pose of Lord Shiva which according to Shiva, “it aligned my energy to the universal energy so that the dance emerges on its own” (79). In the work 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art,

Devdutt Pattanaik examines the famous Tandava dance of Lord Shiva “which essentially means the more aggressive masculine form of dance, distinguishing it from Lasya, the more enchanting feminine form of dance” (Pattanaik 97).

Shiva’s relationship with Sati, the Meluhan warrior princess forms the emotional crux of the trilogy. Ordained to a life of loneliness due to her Vikarma status in Meluha, Sati is presented as the ideal Meluhan woman, beautiful and intelligent who religiously follows the rules and regulations. Shiva’s initial foray into his role as the Neelkanth is to impress Sati bordering on patronization. Tripathi also evokes the traditional antagonistic relationship shared by Shiva and Daksha, Sati’s father and ruler of Meluha.

Shiva’s relationship with Brahaspati evokes a sense of brotherly affection between the two. Brihaspati acts as a confidant and as a true friend to Shiva who he considers to be his equal.

In the Trilogy, Brihaspati acts as the mythical confidant of the hero who guides him to his path of self discovery. Nandi, Badra, Parasuram, Parvateshwar and Bhagirath occupy the requisite Dileep 36

followers of the mythological hero. The eventual objective of Neelkanth quest for truth is the discovery and of the Evil and its destruction. By presenting Somras as the Evil, Tripathi evokes the philosophy that Evil is not a person; it is an idea or belief.

The main female protagonist Sati is presented as the epitome of Indian femininity who can do no wrong. She acts as the moral touchstone for Shiva in fulfilling his destiny. Sati is well respected for her self sufficiency and for her bravado in the battlefield and her final battle against the Egyptian assassins captures her courage in the face of adversity. Sati is depicted as the perfect daughter, the perfect wife, the perfect mother and the perfect citizen. Proficient in the art of war, Sati is also well regarded by the Meluhans as a model citizen who is duty bound and willing to sacrifice her own desires and love for the sake of the law of the land. She was previously married to a noble lord Chandandhwaj and was declared a vikarma after it was assumed that she gave birth to a stillborn. Being a proud Meluhan she embraced the Vikarma status and led a restrained and austere life and initially thwarted Shiva’s affection. Despite being a staunch believer of Lord Ram’s ideals, Sati’s doesn’t shy away from casting doubt on many of the social practices adopted by the Meluhans when Shiva vocalizes the irrationality of these traditions and later declares her love for Shiva.

Tripathi’s portrayal of Sati is significant in various aspects. In the traditional mythology

Sati immolated herself after her father Daksha Prajapati’s insult against her husband Shiva. Sati who was the manifestation of Shakti was soon refashioned as the ideal of Hindu femininity and became synonymous with the ritualistic practice associated with widow immolation following the death of the husband and in the course of time came to be associated as the mark of female submission. In Shiva Trilogy, Tripathi’s depiction of Sati to a certain extent subverts the submissive representation associated with the mythological character. In the final book, The

Oath of the Vayuputras, Sati takes the place of Shiva in the peace meeting initiated by Daksha, unaware of her father’s devious plot to assassinate Shiva with the aid of Egyptian mercenaries. Dileep 37

She is fatally wounded by the leader of the Aten cult, Swuth who impressed by her valour honours her as his final victim and in accordance with the tradition would “give up his profession to spend the rest of his life worshipping the last victim” (The Oath of the Vayuputras

476)

Patricia Uberoi in her article ‘Feminine Identity and National Ethos in Indian Calendar

Art’ discusses the notion of commoditization of women and the tropising of the feminine, within an overall cultural context that was both homogenizing and hegemonising. She notes:

This is all well-known and widely accepted, but the devaluation of women as sex

objects and as commodities that is so strikingly a feature of the contemporary mass media is not the only mode of objectification/ reification of women that one can see around. Equally significant is the veritable deification of women in certain of their social roles: the pure virgin, the loyal and obedient wife and most importantly of all, the ‘mother’. All of these figures, of course, find divine exemplars in the Hindu pantheon. (Uberoi 42)

In terms of the choice of clothing for the female characters Tripathi does not deviate away from the traditional and familiar perception of the attire assigned to the mythological characters by the artists and writers of the earlier era. Most of the women are described as wearing one cloth draping the chest, one scarf and a lower garment. Thakurtha analyses the images of the mythological female in the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma in her article ‘Women as

Calendar Art Icons’ and points out that “the ancient myths and legends provided the artist the license to indulge in a sensual display of women’s bodies, while the erotic image itself found a social and divine cover” (Thakurta 97). In The Immortals of Meluha Tripathi describes Sati when Shiva sees her for the first time:

Although her black hair was tied in an understated bun, a few irreverent strands danced a

spellbinding kathak in the wind. Her piercingly magnetic, blue eyes and bronzed skin

were an invitation for jealousy from the goddesses. Her body though covered Dileep 38

demurely in a long angvastram, still ignited Shiva’s imagination into sensing the

lovely curves which lay beneath. Her flawless face was a picture of concentration as

she manoeuvred the chariot skillfully into its parking place. (The Immortals of

Meluha 47)

Nandini Chandra in her book, The Classic Popular: Amar Chitra Katha, 1967-2007, while describing the representation of women in ACK comics talks about how any “allusion to the heroine’s physical allure is instantly followed by an invocation of her goddess stature” and how the “male voyeurism is legitimised by directly incorporating the erotic experience within the religious and the mythological narrative” (Chandra 165). In Shiva Trilogy, Tripthi while depicting the principal heroine Sati incorporates her commendable military prowess along with the element of sensuality, presenting her as a beautiful but tough woman who the modern readers can relate to. When Shiva sees Sati for the first time, she is on her way to visit Lord

Brahma’s temple and he is deeply attracted towards her, though Sati completely ignores his advances. The romantic atmosphere is soon replaced when Sati is attacked by Naga and his companions. Shiva is surprised when Sati joins him in the counter attack against the Naga, though missed his chance of impressing Sati when he comments that she doesn’t wield her shield “too badly for a woman”. (The Immortals of Meluha 52)

In contrast to the conventional portrayal of Sati, Tripathi presents a bolder version of the contemporary woman in Anandmayi, Chandravanshi princess who embodies the liberal

Chandravanshi values. She is bold, confident of her sensuality and an efficient warrior in her own right, though her marriage to Parvatheswar ‘tames’ her. She is described as “quite a handful” by Parvateshwar. Her erotic image is highlighted by Tripathi when she is introduced in the Trilogy: Dileep 39

A deep walnut coloured complexion complemented a body that was voluptuous, yet

muscular. Her doe-eyes cast a seductive look while her lips were in a perpetual pout,

sensual yet intimidating. She was provocatively clothed, with a dhoti that had been

tied dangerously low at the waist and ended many inches above her knees, while

agonizingly tight at her curvaceous hips. Her blouse was similar to the cloth piece that

Meluhan women tied, except that it had been cut raunchily at the top to the shape of

her ample breasts, affording a full view of her generous cleavage. She stood with

her hips tilted to the side, exuding raw passion. (The Immortals of Meluha 365)

When Parvateshwar who is bound by brahmacharya or eternal celibacy vow, is indifferent to her affections, Anandmayi decides to “ensnare her General” through military prowess (The Secret of Nagas 130). Though Anandmayi is successful in breaking the celibacy vow of Parvateshwar, after the marriage she is presented as an ideal Indian woman who behaves in a demure manner without any trace of the initial uninhibited sensuality and follows her husband when he decides to stay back in Meluha after Shiva decides to destroy Meluha with

Pashupatiastra, reinforcing the cultural stereotype of the women’s roles. Thakurtha in relation to the traditional roles assigned to women in the society writes, “Woman becomes the social role- model of a loving mother and a dutiful wife; she also stands as the visual personification of tradition” (WS 96).

Sati’s long lost twin sister Kali is modeled on traditional perception of Goddess Kali, the fierce black goddess in Hindu mythology. Abandoned at birth due to her deformity and thus being labeled as a Naga, Kali evokes a sense of terror among her followers as well as her detractors due to her temper. Various other characters like ever suffering Veerini, mother of Sati, duty bound Kanakhala, the Prime Minister of Meluha, and Ayurvati, the chief medical examiner in Meluha are stereotyped in their depiction. Tripathi’s portrayal of the Nagas and the Vikarmas Dileep 40

puts forward various social problems that are relevant even in the present day society. Nagas are the dreaded terrorists, who at the time of their births developed deformities in their bodies and hence are abandoned from Meluha. Nagas possess supernatural strength and can perform extraordinary tasks. Tripathi’s presentation of the Nagas seems to be inspired from pop culture comics like X-MEN, who possess supernatural powers and yet are kept away from the human civilization due to fear and trepidation. Vikarmas are the untouchables in the Meluhan society who are punished due to their past life sins and who face discrimination on a constant basis which reminds one of the harassment suffered by the downtrodden in the present society. Kali and Ganesha possess supernatural strength and are proficient warriors. Yet they are banished from the mainstream Meluhan society due to their deformed status and are later accepted into the society due to the intervention of Shiva and are given voice.

The Nagas are initially presented as monsters and are in constant war with Meluhans.

One can relate to Timothy Beal’s definition of a monster to their portrayal in the books. “They are threatening figures of anomaly within the well-established and accepted order of things…they represent the outside that has gotten inside” (Reading Culture 96). He further comments, “Monsters threaten our sense of at-homeness…one’s sense of security, stability, well-being, health and meaning…they are figures of chaos and disorientation within order and orientation” (96)

Ganesha, the elephant headed God in Hindu mythology is presented as a giant cloaked in a black hooded robe from head to toe and his face is hidden behind a mask and is called a Naga, a deformed one who engages in terrorist activities against Meluha. He was Sati’s son born from her first marriage and was abandoned by Daksha because of his birth deformity. Kali’s extra pair of hands as a result of the birth defect led to her ouster from Meluha, engineered by her father.

Daksha manipulates Shiva and others into believing that the Nagas are evil incarnate and must be killed to secure a peaceful future for Meluha and its way of life. Initially depicted as vicious Dileep 41

cold blooded assassins, the Nagas are redeemed when the real intension behind their actions was revealed; to destroy the manufacture of Somras which causes birth defects among the people.

The plight of the Nagas and the Vikarmas could represent the conditions of the socially marginalized who are often victims of the dominant ideology.

Though the Trilogy initially revolved around the tussle between the Suryavanshis and the

Chandravanshis, it eventually evolves into a battle between the powers of beliefs: the belief in the Neelkanth Vs the belief in the Meluha’s systematic governance. Tripathi was successful in creating a political atmosphere that is familiar to the modern audience. Thus there is a detailed description of the political and diplomatic processes that involves Meluha and Swadweep and efficient spy networks employed by Magadhan prince Surapadman. Also in tune with the all too familiar political motto, ‘there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics’, Meluha and

Swadweep join forces against Shiva and his followers the moment he deviates from original

Meluhan plan.

Tripathi has juxtaposed various genres in his debut literary venture and the element of history has also seeped into the mythological narrative. He names the land as India which constitutes Meluha, Swadweep and Panchavati. In the glossary given at the end, Tripathi classifies Meluha as the land of pure life and comprises of the northern part of India and is associated with the Indus valley civilization. Upon his arrival at Meluha, Shiva and his tribe are mesmerized by the well maintained and efficient Meluhan civic system. “The city was divided into a grid of square blocks by the paved streets. There were footpaths on the side for pedestrians, lanes marked on the street for traffic in different directions and of course, there were covered drains running through the centre” (Immortals of Meluha 62). Tripathi’s description of

Meluha is reminiscent of the civic system in Indus Valley civilization during its glorious days.

The land of the Chandravanshis Swadweep is in the central and Eastern part of India according to the map given in the book and the Naga kingdom Panchavati or called as Dandak Dileep 42

Forest is towards the South of India and includes parts of modern Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and is forbidden for the Meluhans to enter. By bringing up the ancient Aryan versus Dravidian conflict, Tripathi is historicizing the mythology.

Tripathi emphasizes on the issue of environmental hazards that are caused due to human intervention and greed. Thus Somras which was regarded as the ultimate good turns to become the evil due to its excess use. The consumption of the Somras results in the birth of Nagas or stillborn children and plague in Branga. Also Tripathi’s description of the manufacturing process for Somras is similar to that of a nuclear reactor as Somras generates a lot of heat and that a lot of water is needed during the processing to keep the mixture stable. The mass production of

Somras also results in the drying up of the river Saraswati. The toxic waste generated due to the mass production of Somras is diverted to the water bodies near Branga which causes disease among the people. The description reminds us of the toxic waste produced by the factories and nuclear reactors that results in cancer and other fatal diseases in modern times.

Tripathi uses modern day terminology while narrating various phenomena. Shiva and his tribe are taken to a ‘Foreigners office’, where they are met by an ‘Immigration Executive’. There is also reference to the telepathic signals, thermodynamics and nuclear fission in the Trilogy.

The author also employs modern day slang and jargon throughout his narration thereby deviating from the conventional literary mythological tradition. John Fiske discusses the use of language in the popular culture in the chapter titled ‘Popular Texts’ in his book Understanding

Popular Culture. According to him, “Popular culture is often attacked for its (mis)use of language. The question at issue here is whether the mass media and popular culture debase our language or revitalize it” (Fiske 85). Tripathi’s use modern day slang and jargon has generated a lot of interest among the readers. The researcher asked a group of college students in the age group of 18 to 20, regarding the popularity of the Shiva Trilogy among the younger generation.

Most of them stressed that the language used is easy to understand and hence even when Dileep 43

Tripathi is describing the philosophical concepts of Karma and salvation, they were able to comprehend the essential idea.

The success of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy has popularized Indian mythology and has led to an increase in demand for local stories set within Indian locales and Indian history.

Tripathi has adopted various mythos associated with the extant Shiva myth and has incorporated it into his debut literary venture. His mythical characters are relatable and familiar to the new age readers and the innovative marketing strategies generated a lot of interest among them.

Works Cited

Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor Press, 1991. Print

Chandra, Nandini. The Classic Popular:Amar Chitra Katha, 1967-2007. New Delhi: Yoda

Press, 2008. Print.

Chaturvedi, B.K. Shiv Purana. New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books, 2014. Print

Fiske, John. Understanding Popular Culture. London: Routledge Classics, 2010. Print

Nayar, Pramod K. Reading Culture: Theory, Praxis, Politics. New Delhi: Sage

Publications India Pvt Ltd, 2006. Print.

Pattanaik, Devdutt. 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art. New Delhi: Westland ltd, 2009.Print.

Singh, Chitralekha. Siva: The Greatest God. New Delhi: Indiana Publishing House, 2013.

Print.

Smith, David. Hinduism and Modernity. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003. Print.

Thakurtha, Tapati Guha. “Women as Calendar Art Icons: Emergence of Pictorial Stereotype in

Colonial India”. Economic and Political Weekly. Vol 26 No 43(Oct 26, 1991): WS 91-99.

Web. 3 Nov 2014. Dileep 44

Uberoi, Patricia. “Feminine Identity and National Ethos in Indian Calendar Art” Economic and

Political Weekly. Vol 25 No17 (Apr 28, 1990): WS 41-48. Web. 3 Nov 2014.

Chapter 3

Commercialization of Mythology

This chapter examines the impact of commercialization in mythological fiction and the researcher also looks into the innovative marketing strategies adopted to promote the Shiva

Trilogy. The process of commercialization and commodification will be analysed in the light of theories related to Marxism. John Fiske’s concept of the inter dependence of the commercial industry and the interest of the people in “Commodities and Culture” will be examined to understand the popularity of any commercial venture. Terry Eagleton’s chapter titled “Author as a Producer”, Wenche Ommundsen’s essay “From the Altar to the Market-Place and Back Again:

Understanding Literary Celebrity” and Walter Benjamin’s article, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” will also be examined to understand the position of an author in the present commercialized society. The researcher argues that the Tripathi’s retelling of the myth and the marketing strategies adopted to promote it has commodified the mythological genre as well as the author.

Commercialization is referred to as the process of introducing a new product into the market and the product should ideally bear the interests of the people to be commercially viable. Dileep 45

The process of commercialization has always been present in the society from the times immemorial as part of the trading market. In recent times, the consumer nature has dramatically changed and even ideas and individuals are considered to be a saleable entity. The term commodification generally refers to the conversion of an unsalable entity into a saleable one in accordance with the market interests of the society. In today’s industrialized and commercialized world anything and everything can be a commodity, an idea propounded by

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their seminal work The Communist Manifesto. The process of

Industrialization led to a burgeoning market oriented society where along with manufactured goods, ideas, lifestyle, relationships and even individuals can be viewed as a commodity that which can be purchased and it derives its value from what it can be sold or traded for. The process of commercialization has enveloped possibly every area in today’s society. The concept of commodity and commercialization is commonly associated in the field of popular culture and popular fiction. Theodor Adorno’s notion of culture industry is related to the profit motivated popular culture industry which, according to him would result in making the masses passive.

Adorno and Horkheimer in the essay “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass

Deception” asserts the formation of a cultural industry that is commercially motivated and results in a culture of consumption and the negation of the intellectual abilities and independent thought among the masses. According to them the process of mass production would result in the homogenization of the culture and the primary focus of the culture industry is to attain economic success. While discussing the commodification of art, they write, “What is new is not that it is a commodity, but today it deliberately admits it is one; that art renounces its own autonomy and proudly takes its place among consumption goods constitutes the charm of novelty” (Adorno 43)

The cultural artifact must be critiqued on the basis of the close analysis of the material conditions in which it is produced and its relation with the social conditions and ideological Dileep 46

perspectives. Any cultural artifact is not devoid of the ideological indoctrination of the artist as well as the society. The dominant ideology prevalent in the society can be interrogated by analyzing the representation of the society in various forms of the Culture Industry.

“Literature maybe an artifact, a product of social consciousness, a world vision; but it is also an industry” (Eagleton 55). Terry Eagleton’s quote in Marxism and Literary Criticism points to the impact of commercialization in the field of literature. The image of a lone artist detached from the material pursuits of the world is difficult to imagine in today’s fast paced commercialized society. Literature has always been a cultural product of the society and serves as its mirror reflecting the socio- cultural and ideological perspectives.

Various critics like Pierre Macherey and Terry Eagleton have questioned the supposed autonomy of the author in the production of the literary enterprise. Eagleton quotes Karl Marx in the chapter “The Author as Producer” in the work Marxism and Literary Criticism in relation to the association of the author with the commercial industry. He writes, “A writer…is a worker not in so far as he produces ideas, but in so far as he is working for a wage” (Eagleton 56). The aura surrounding the author is dependent on various factors such as marketing and publicity, popularity and acceptance of the author in various social and academic circles and the circulation of the book in other cultural forms or medium.

In India, the tradition of reading and writing has always been valued and various writers have enjoyed a privileged position in the society. The rich oral tradition which was essential for the cultural heritage soon paved way for the tradition of writing and documentation. The canonical Sanskrit epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have being well regarded in both the oral medium as well as the written form. The Tamil Sangam Literature and the Pali Literature also was prominent during the medieval period. Later the literature in the regional languages also flourished giving rise to a dynamic and heterogeneous character to the Indian Literature. Dileep 47

The introduction of English in the educational and administrative institutions following the British colonization led to the synthesis of the European sensibilities and native traditions in the field of literature. Soon Indian Writing in English gained upper hand over the literatures in regional language. The works of R K Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao inaugurated a new era in the field of literature. Later writers like Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai and Amitav Ghosh have been instrumental in the massive popularity for Indian writing in

English among the new generation of readers.

Recently the growing literacy rate and the flourishing publishing industry have contributed to the rise of readership despite the advent of e-reading devices like Kindle and smart phones. Internationally renowned publishing houses like Oxford University Press,

Penguin, Harper Collins, and Cambridge University Press have their regional centers in different

Indian cities and play a key role in Indian publishing industry and have branched out to the regional language market. Online websites like Amazon and Flipkart have also revolutionized and increased the reader base.

Indian writing in English was once dominated by authors such as Salman Rushdie,

Amitav Ghosh amongst others who were branded as elite, exclusive and international. The regional market for Indian writings in English was also nominal. But the recent success of the new wave writers like Chetan Bhagat and Amish Tripathi could be a reflection of the changing aspiration and confidence among the new generation in India. Their books are often criticized to be mediocre and populist and hence have no ‘real’ literary value, according to the traditionalists.

But one cannot ignore the popularity and influence they have among the readers

Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy, initially rejected by various publishing houses in India, gained momentum due to the innovative marketing strategies adopted by the author such as printing the first chapter of The Immortals of Meluha and keeping it for free in many bookstores Dileep 48

and also for free download over the internet and eventually attaining the status of best seller.

Ambi Parameswaran, in his book For God’s Sake says,

Amish Tripathi’s first book, The Immortals of Meluha, did not have any takers initially

since publishers could not classify the work. Was it fiction? Was it religion? Was it a

thriller? But his success has been simply astounding, and is testimony to his great story

telling style, which caters to the growing appetite for Indian writing on Indian themes,

coupled with some astute marketing (Parameswaran 96-97).

An elaborate marketing strategy was developed following the stupendous response of

The Immortals of Shiva, helmed by the Mumbai based ad agency Think WhyNot which specializes in marketing, book marketing and social media marketing. The innovative advertising strategies adopted under the supervision of Amish Tripathi is significant in the context of Indian popular fiction as it led to many ‘firsts’ in the history of Indian publication.

Before the release of The Secret of Nagas, trailers uploaded in social media sites, featuring actors portraying the principal characters of Shiva, Sati and the Naga evoked positive interest among the readers.

Fig 3.1 Dileep 49

Following the tremendous reception for The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of

Nagas, the launch of the final book in the Trilogy, The Oath of Vayuputras was eagerly anticipated by the readers and the marketing agency launched a music album titled ‘Vayuputras’, in association with Times Music and the music album gained enough publicity due to the presence of renowned singer Sonu Nigam as well an innovative book reveal session whereby the cover will be revealed depending on the likes generated on author Amish Tripathi’s Facebook page, a marketing technique targeting the digital media generation.

Fig 3.2

Branding is an important entity in the modern day consumer culture and indicates the unique identity of the product or of the company. Over the last few years, the concept of branding has moved beyond the product or the company and is now being associated with the individual. Wenche Ommundsen discusses the evolution of an artist as a celebrity who face the need to market their products in terms of real or monetary value in the essay titled “From the

Altar to the Market- Place and Back Again: Understanding Literary Celebrity”. Ommundsen writes, “Celebrity writers are ‘branded’ in ways not incommensurate with the marketing of consumer goods at the same time as branded consumer items are ‘personalized’ to produce a signature effect.”(Ommundsen 249) An important objective of the ad agency, Think WhyNot, is to establish a brand name for the author Amish Tripathi and constructed a new website under the Dileep 50

domain name authoramish.com which focused more on the news and the events surrounding the author and his future literary ventures, replacing the earlier website shivatrilogy.com. The website is described as a hub mainly for ‘Amish’s fans’, and includes a store section where readers can buy books and merchandise signed by Tripathi. The entire process elevates Tripathi to that of a literary superstar or rather a ‘literary pop star’ as remarked by the noted filmmaker

Shekhar Kapur.

Ommundsen’s comment on the literary celebrity can be associated with this. She writes,

“Within the regime of differential commercial value, the literary celebrity as commodity depends on his or her ability to be ‘branded’ according to an apparently less commercialized value system and offered as an alternative to other types of celebrity.” (Ommundsen 245)

Tripathi, who graduated from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata clearly understands the dynamics of commercialization and marketing in the field of literature. In today’s capitalist globalized world, it is imperative on the part of the celebrity author to undertake promotional tours, media profiles and festival appearances. Thus when Tripathi announced that the myth of

Lord Ram will be the subject matter of his next literary venture, at the Jaipur Literature Festival

2015, it generated a lot of media buzz.

Another aspect of the fast paced commercialized area of literature is the possibility of the short ‘shelf life’ of the titles and hence the authors as well as the publishers are compelled to publicize their work in an elaborate and urgent manner so as to maximize the readership and profit. Ommundsen in her essay points out how various authors are sometimes compelled to put themselves in the public eye and subject themselves to the promotional practices of the celebrity industry. Dileep 51

Fig 3.3

Interestingly the concept of author as a celebrity was not considered to be appropriate earlier for a writer of serious literary fiction. “A writer, it is implied, has no business courting celebrity: in order to serve the cause of literature he must maintain a position separate from the grubby practices of politics or commercialized culture.” (Ommundsen 245) But in today’s literary field where there is too much competition and too little time for the text to create its own audience, the options are sometimes limited for the authors to detach themselves away from the media circus.

Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”

(1933) examines the repercussion of the mechanical reproduction in art. In the essay he maintains that an ‘aura’ of uniqueness that was associated with the traditional works of art is lost in the process of mechanical reproduction of arts in the form of multiple copies. The plurality of the cultural artifact and the easy accessibility of the work of art among the people results in the subversion of the traditional ‘high art’. Interestingly the process of commercialization and resultant branding could also lead to the creation of aura among the celebrity authors. Thus after the massive success of Immortals of Meluha which initially was published by Tripathi’s agent, the publishing house Westland bought the rights to Shiva Trilogy and came up with a reprinted edition which was commercially successful as well. The well publicized stories in the media Dileep 52

related to Tripathi’s Indian Institute of Management background, his profession as a banker as well as the glowing response and recommendation from the celebrities like Shekhar Kapur and

Karan Johar evoked curiosity and interest among the readers.

Fig 3.4

Fig 3.5

The official website authoramish.com sheds light into the celebrity status accorded to

Amish Tripathi. Apart from the standard information about the author and book, the website has a Store Section and a Readers Hub. The fans can buy autographed merchandise from the store section and the videos and media articles related to Amish Tripathi and the book series are uploaded in the Readers Hub. The website which was initially named as shivatrilogy.com was Dileep 53

later changed to authoramish.com thereby foregrounding the author over the book series and commodifying the author. Here the author is positioned as the commercial entity whose commercial viability could be transported to his future literary ventures.

In today’s commercialized world literature do not have an autonomous existence. Terry

Eagleton in Marxism and Literary Criticism looks at literature not just as a text but also as a

“social activity, a form of social and economic production which exists alongside, and interrelates with, other such forms” (Eagleton 56). He asserts that art should be looked as a form of social production and relates to Walter Benjamin’s concept of the social positioning of art propagated in the essay, “The Author as a Producer” (1934). According to Benjamin, any form of art is dependent on various techniques of production- “certain modes of painting, publishing, theatrical presentation and so on ….and they involve a set of social relations between the artistic producer and his audience” (57). Benjamin exhorts that the artist rather than accepting the social forms of artistic production should revolutionize the forms. By developing and transforming these social means of artistic production that exists in the society a new social relation can be created between the artist and the audience.

One can look at the concept of the role of the artist in revolutionizing the existing social forms of artistic production in a progressive manner as well. Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy was initially rejected by some of the mainstream publishing houses for many emphasized the fact that it will be difficult for the new generation of readers to connect with mythology. Eventually

Tripathi along with his literary agent Anuj Bahri had publish the first book The Immortals of

Meluha by themselves. The never before seen promotion of the book on the social media and other outlets have helped the series in generating interest among the masses. To a certain extent the success of Shiva Trilogy has optimized the opportunities for the new generation of writers to promote and distribute their work on their own without too many bureaucratic interventions. The various innovative marketing strategies adopted by the author in collaboration with the ad Dileep 54

agency Think WhyNot in the form of Youtube videos before the release of the second book The

Secret of the Nagas as well as the release of a music album before the release of the third book

The Oath of the Vayuputras also connected well with the digital savvy new generation of readers.

The instances of fans queuing up in front of the bookstores to get hold of the book and dressing up as their favorite characters was largely considered as a western phenomenon until recently. But the scenes in front of some of the bookstores in India were no different before the release of the third book in the franchise The Oath of the Vayuputras. The massive fan following of the Shiva Trilogy among the younger generation of readers in a way contradicts the media and publishing houses’ initial response to Tripathi.

Fig 3.6

Even though the Shiva Trilogy has its own share of detractors who criticized Tripathi’s use of simple and commonplace language and grammatical incorrectness, one cannot deny that his retelling of the ancient mythology has managed touch a chord with the new generation of readers. John Fiske’s quote on the relation between a commodity and people can associated with the popularity of Shiva Trilogy. In the chapter “Commodities and Culture”, he writes, “To be made into popular culture, a commodity must also bear the interests of the people” (Fiske 19). It is easy to generalize the mass culture industry as a profit motivated industry. But Fiske advocates that a commodity or industry cannot be commercially viable if it does not take into Dileep 55

account the popular interest of the people as culture is an active process and is made by the people. Tripathi’s mythological reinterpretation of Shiva can be regarded as a process of going back to one’s cultural roots and assertion of the native identity and heritage. Myth and mythology has always been an essential part of our inherent consciousness and the rich tradition of the mythological over the ages has led to the communal bonding among the people belonging to different generations.

Shiva Trilogy’s colossal popularity can also be attributed to the massive fan following of

Lord Shiva. In recent times Lord Shiva has being accorded with an iconic status Shiva is often presented as the rebellious outsider who does not conform to the norms of the society and is well accepted by people belonging to different strata of the society. T- Shirts and tattoos inspired by the impartial, democratic and non conformist Shiva are very popular among the masses. The humanized Shiva depicted by Tripathi in Shiva Trilogy is also appealing to the masses as the marijuana smoking and bhang consuming charismatic outsider with a vulnerable side, without offending the sentiments of the masses.

Amish Tripathi’s retelling of the Shiva mythology has attained a cult status in terms of the massive fan following and commercial success. The ground-breaking marketing strategies adopted by Tripathi in collaboration with the Ad Agency Think WhyNot have been instrumental in revolutionizing the Indian Publishing Industry. In today’s commercialized world an artist or a writer may not have an autonomous existence in the field of literature and arts but equipped with an astute marketing knowledge, one can, as quoted by Walter Benjamin, “reconstruct the artistic forms at his disposal, turning authors, readers and spectators into collaborators” (Eagleton 58) Dileep 56

Works Cited

Adorno, Theodor and Max Horkheimer. “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass

Deception”. Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader. Ed Redmond, Sean and Su

Holmes, New York: Sage Publications, 2007. Print

Eagleton, Terry. Marxism and Literary Criticism. New York: Routledge Classics, 2002. Print.

Fiske, John. Understanding Popular Culture. London: Routledge Classics, 2010. Print

Macherey, Pierre. A Theory of Literary Production. Oxon: Routledge Classics, 2006. Print.

Ommundsen, Wenche. “From the Altar to the Market-Place and Back Again:

Understanding Literary Celebrity”. Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader. Ed Redmond,

Sean and Su Holmes, New York: Sage Publications, 2007. Print

Parameswaran, Ambi. For God’s Sake. Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 2014. Print. Dileep 57 Dileep 58

Conclusion

The publication of Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy has marked a significant change in the field of Indian literature. The ancient myths and mythological has always being a source of inspiration for the writers around the world. Retelling and reinterpretation of the ancient myths and mythology has always been an accepted tradition in India and over the years the retelling of the ancient myths have not being devoid of the socio- cultural and ideological interpolations in accordance with the changing mores of the society.

This research is a study on how mythology is appropriated in accordance with the changing mores of the society and the impact of commercialization and commodification on the mythological fiction genre. It argues that Tripathi’s appropriation of mythology is in tune with the prevalent socio-cultural norms and this in turn resulted in the commodification of the mythological genre as well the positioning of the author as a commodity.

The tradition of mythological retelling in India has taken a dynamic turn in recent times which was inaugurated by Ashok K Banker’s Ramayana Series in 2003. The new wave of mythological fiction writers experiment with form and style and sometimes deviates from the traditional mythological framework. The juxtaposition of various genres such as fantasy, history and mythology is common among these writers. The experimental retellings and reinterpretations have facilitated the opportunity for an alternate reading of the traditional myth.

Many of the new generation mythological writers interestingly, do not have a literary or academic background and their medium of writing is English. Equipped with a global outlook and an astute understanding of the commercial industry, many of these writers are venturing into the hitherto uncharted territory of mythological fiction writing. Their relatable stories and the use of simple commonplace language are well received by the new generation readers. Most of Dileep 59

the writers tend to humanize their mythological characters and focused on their humane and vulnerable side.

Amish Tripathi’s asserts that the deified Gods were once humans and their extraordinary sense of justice and moral objective elevated their status and later were worshipped by the masses. The conscious process of humanizing the already familiar and revered mythological characters could have been problematic if it is offensive to the sensibilities of the people. But

Tripathi’s Shiva is charismatic and relatable to the readers and displays the moral essence of an everyday hero. Tripathi has foregrounded the human side of Shiva who is sometimes perplexed and disturbed by life’s dilemmas and choices. Tripathi has taken artistic liberty when it comes to the portrayal of other mythological characters. Thus Sati, the warrior princess of Meluha, though overshadowed by Shiva in the series, dies a brave death thereby subverting the traditional representation of Sati as a symbol of female submission. The Hindu mythological God of wisdom, Ganesha is a proficient warrior in the revamped mythological fiction. Tripathi has also incorporated various contemporary socio- cultural issues that are easily relatable to the present generation of readers.

The postmodern tendency to juxtapose different genres into the narrative is exemplified in the Shiva Trilogy. By mixing history and fantasy with mythology, Tripathi’s mythological narrative is easily identifiable for the modern generation who are more familiar with western fantasy fiction. The use of common place and simple language has garnered interest among the readers. The use of commonplace language in popular fiction has always been a problematic issue in the field of academia. John Fiske’s question as to whether such use in popular and mass media debases or revitalizes the language is of great relevance. The wide acceptance of

Tripathi’s simple language in the mythological genre by the readers can be seen as the subversion of the elite culture. Dileep 60

Shiva Trilogy’s immense commercial success is also significant in the field of Indian publishing industry. Tripathi can be regarded as a pioneer among the new generation of writers for initiating various experimental and never before seen marketing techniques adopted to promote the Trilogy.

This dissertation is a study on the appropriation of mythology as well as the impact of commercialization in the mythological genre. It studies the depiction of the mythological characters and the appropriation of the mythological framework. It also looks into the aspect of commercialization and commodification and its impact on the mythological fiction genre as well as on the author.

The dissertation is structurally divided into four chapters. Chapter I has introduced the research area, research objectives and research questions. The chapter has also provided background for the evolution and appropriation of mythology as well as theories related to commercialization. The academic work done in the area is provided in the literature review and an outline on the dissertation is given in the chapter division section.

Chapter 11 looks into the appropriation of mythology and popularity of the mythological fiction in India. The chapter introduces the new generation mythological fiction writers and their experimental narratives. Later it specifically studies how the myth of Shiva is appropriated in the mythological fiction genre by Amish Tripathi by analyzing the depiction of the mythological characters as well as the mythological framework adopted by Tripathi.

Chapter III examines the impact of commercialization in the mythological fiction. It looks into process of commodification as well as the position of the author on the present commercialized society. Here the researcher examines how the impact of commercialization has resulted in the commodification of the mythology as well as the mythical characters and in the process how the author is also being commodified. Chapter IV is a summation of the research arguments and the conclusion. It also briefly discusses area for further research. Dileep 61

The dissertation is a study on the appropriation of mythology specific to Shiva as well as the aspect of commercialization in the mythological writing. As an area for further research, a comparative study can be conducted between the recent mythological fictions of different authors by analyzing the appropriation of mythology. A comparative study can be made between Shiva Trilogy and Ramayana Series by Ashok Banker. A study can be made comparing the retelling of the ancient epics by male and female authors. A study on the depiction of the mythological female characters as well as the position of the subordinate characters can also be looked into. The language and the narrative style employed by the mythological fiction writers can also be examined in a detailed manner. Dileep 62

Works Cited

Tripathi, Amish. The Immortals of Meluha. New Delhi: Westland ltd, 2010. Print.

….The Secret of the Nagas. New Delhi: Westland ltd, 2012. Print.

….The Oath of the Vayuputras. New Delhi: Westland ltd, 2013. Print. Dileep 63

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