Ravanas Many Faces

Most people will be surprised to learn that this is how scriptures describe Ravana,the most infamous villain in Hindu mythology. While original scriptures and folk tales describe Ravana as a complex character with much that was good as well as bad in him,over generations,the Ravana in Ramayana has come to be reviled as a demon.

However,more recently,artistes have started going back to the original versions for inspiration and are now painting Ravana in a completely new light. Two months ago,author Anand Neelakantan launched his book Asura: Tale of the Vanquished,which tells the age-old tale of Ramayana through Ravanas eyes. Last year,another set of artists brought Ravanas side of the story into the forefront with Ravana: Roar of the Demon King a graphic novel by Abhimanyu Singh Sisodia,and Ravanayanan a comic series about Ravanas life written by Vijayendra Mohanty.

History is always written by the victorious and very little is remembered about the person who loses. But Ravana had a story too,and this book has given me a chance to explore that, says Neelakantan. Sisodia also feels that Ravana is one of the most misunderstood characters in Indian mythology. While the original versions of Ramayana by Tulsidas and Valmiki describe Ravana as a powerful and erudite man with many shades to his personality,popular versions paint Ravana as a villain and nothing more, he says.

This revolution is not just restricted to books Ravanas story is now being enacted on stage as well. Maya Krishna Rao,who teaches at the National School of Drama in Delhi,has been performing Ravanama since last year. It is the story of an actor who prepares to essay the role of Ravana. As the actor studies Ravana,she discovers new shades and dimensions to him. Soon,she is overwhelmed by how complex Ravana is and this realisation begins to change her as an actor. Ravana could appreciate great beauty he was a master veena player and was extremely knowledgeable. The tragedy of his life is that while he knows beauty,his actions do not have beautiful ends, she says.

But are these books and performances disturbing societys deep-seated ideas of good and evil? Neelakantan says that the only negative feedback he has received so far is from the supporters of Ravana,who claim that he should have painted Ravana in a more favourable light.

Krishna Rao,who has received tremendous acclaim for Ravanama and will soon be taking it to Germany,says that while the popular versions of Ramayana may depict Ravana as a unidimensional villain,many folk tales and other versions tell the tale from Ravanas perspective and sometimes,even from Sitas. Most people are curious to hear different versions of classics. We are continuing this age-old tradition of storytelling, she says.