The mistress of words: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni in a candid chat on her books and more

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s 2008 novel The Palace of Illusions was evolutionary to say the least. The Indian-American author attempted to tell the story of Mahabharata’s tragic queen Draupadi through the fearless and brave Panchaali, eventually rewriting the way Draupadi was perceived. With her latest The Forest of Illusions, Divakaruni has set out to retell the story of Ramayana through Sita. And not just her but the other female characters of Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Mandodari as well. She tells us about writing Forests... and more. Excerpts.

Ten years of The Palace of Illusions. Have you noticed a change in the way the book has been received through the years?

Yes, readers are more vocal and appreciative of Panchaali’s character. They like her outspokenness, flaws, and tongue-in-cheek humour. They love her relationship with Krishna. I think readers are now open to imperfection in women heroines as well as their spiritual journey.

Panchaali was a brave and strong-headed woman – characteristics that were never revealed in her portrayal as Draupadi. Where do you think it was missing?

In the original Mahabharata, we are not given many glimpses into Draupadi’s character – just what happens to her and what she says or does in response. It is an external portrait. I attempted to show Panchaali’s inner being – her motives, feelings, her heartbreaks. Her “why”. That is exactly what I have done in The Forest of Enchantments now, with Sita.

It is often discussed that Indian mythologies are flawed in their portrayal of women. Has that set a precedent in how society views women?

We have to keep in mind two things: 

• 1. Most epics (the Ramayana in particular, has several quite distinct versions down the ages) were written in staunchly patriarchal societies and are somewhat coloured by those values.
• 2. These versions of the Ramayana are quite different [from each other], and Valmiki and especially the Bengali poet Krittibas Ojha (my main source) are a lot more sympathetic to Sita than we realise.It is the popular retellings and popular art/cinema that have created the commonly held attitudes to the women in the epics where they are lauded for meekness and looked down on if they are assertive or wish to shape their lives autonomously.

With several renditions and retellings of mythological books, each must bring something new to the readers. How does your The Forest... achieve that?

The Forest... creates a full life for Sita – from her childhood and her love for all things of the earth, to her romance with Ram, to her courage and endurance in Lanka, to her resilience after her heartbreaking banishment by Ram. A big part of the book is her relationship with other women – Kaikeyi, Ahalya, Surpanakha, Mandodari, her own sister Urmila. We understand her joys and pains, her modes of thought. Most of all, we understand how strong she is.

How do Panchaali and Sita’s stories coincide with the contemporary Indian woman?

They both have significant #MeToo moments. They speak out against them and are strong in their sense that they are not in the wrong, or defiled, just because they have been victims of physically stronger men. Indeed, they triumph over their circumstances because of their confidence and inner strength. They refuse to compromise. I think contemporary Indian women will resonate with that.

In many ways, The Palace of Illusions is a story about love – somewhere elusive, elsewhere aching, somewhere fluid, elsewhere thoughtful, and even a duty. But really, what is love?

That is a very deep question – we’ll have to have a whole other interview for that! But here’s one thing I believe and show in both Palace of Illusions and Forest of Enchantments: we cannot really love someone else until we have learned to love ourselves in the right way.

Do you think it is time that India should cease looking at women through pious and pure lenses? 

Yes, I think this is important. Women are wonderful and human. We have flaws, just like men do. We have strengths, too, just as they do. We want autonomy, just as they do. It is time to accept our rich and multifaceted nature. Sita shows us a wonderful way of being strong and self-respecting without being strident. She is truly a role model – but not in the way tradition has wrongly depicted her.

Mythology and history enjoy a seamless confluence, but there is a point where belief (mythology) and facts (history) clash... 

Both deal with important and game-changing events in human civilisations. But mythology is also full of deeper, mysterious truths about life. This often emerges as magic. That is where belief and the imagination must take over – and that is the great value of myth. It goes deep into our souls and can transform our understanding of how the world works.

What is in the pipeline for you?

A historical novel set in British times.

What are you reading these days?

I’ve been reading a lot of short stories. Men without Women by Haruki Murakami is a favourite.

What do you make of critic reviews?

I read them carefully and objectively to see what I can learn from them about being a better writer. The rest I try to discount.

What is the best and the worst criticism you have received for your work?

The worst criticism: “Be careful of what you write otherwise you’ll upset people.” The best (from my children, after they read the draft of The Conch Bearer): “Ma, you use too many big words!”