with love...raavan

And a Brahmin was born…

My interests were many and varied. So it was sheer will that helped me excel in all that I got involved. Whether it was astrology or arts or music, there was no one who paralleled me. I had it all. An intellect that was unmatched. An empire which flourished under my rule. A kingdom where even the poorest drank from golden goblets. A palace which was known far and wide for its immense architecture [thanks to Vishwakarma].

Vinasha kale viparitha buddhi…

I had my own flaws- the worst being a philanderer. I had one of the most beautiful women as my wife- Mandodari. This didn’t deter me from conquests of women I had my eyes on. If not for this trait so much a part of me, Ramayana would probably never have come into existence.

V almiki…

2,000 years back when Valmiki wrote Ramayan, I couldn’t fathom the effect it would have. Everything about Rama was righteous and good, while I was dubbed as the wicked and evil. Even my subjects forgot how well I had ruled them. Year after year, I have remained  a silent witness to my effigies burnt mercilessly during dussehra.

Kambaramayana…

The Dravidians down south gave me enough and more reasons to be happy. The Tamil poet Kambar wrote Kambaramayanam with me as the protagonist. To my surprise, I even found some temples where I was the main deity.

Mani Ratnam…

At 54, he was running short of time. So when I heard he was making a movie with me as the protagonist, I was skeptical. 2 years had gone into the making. 60 crores were on hold. There were many mishaps, forests had been robbed of its tranquility, and his health had deteriorated. As was expected, everyone believed it to be my spirit at work. 

Raavan…

My ten heads were a metaphor for my immense intellect. What was Beera? Just a -‘chaka  chaka chaka…chak….’  And the few dives he could make from the cliffs. Santhosh and Manikandan’s work evoked some forgotten memories. They gave a real experience of being in the forests and reminded me of the conquests I had resorted to in my heydays.

Was counting on Mani to generate the necessary positive vibes so that I could attain moksha. Well it seems he is having a hard time attaining moksha from my name…