- Chanakya's Chant
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Chanakya's Chant 
First edition coverAuthor(s) Ashwin Sanghi Country India Language English Genre(s) Novel Publisher Westland Ltd. Publication date 2010 Media type Print Paperback Pages 448 pp (first edition, paperback) ISBN ISBN 9789380658674 (first edition, paperback) Chanakya's Chant (2010) is a novel written by Indian author Ashwin Sanghi. Sanghi, a Yale University graduate, wrote the book two years after his first novel The Rozabal Line (2008) was released in India and became a national bestseller. Chanakya's Chant was released on January 26, 2011 and entered all major Indian national bestseller lists within two months.[1] It reached #1 on India-Today's bestseller list on April 4, 2011.[2] On June 19, 2011, UTV Software Communications announced that it had acquired the movie rights.[3]
Contents
Plot summary
Ashwin Sanghi's novel retells the story of Chanakya the great political strategist of ancient India, whose machinations resulted in the installation of Chandragupta Maurya as the emperor of Magadha. In parallel, the novel also tells the fictional tale of a Brahmin from Uttar Pradesh, Gangasagar Mishra, who decides to mentor a little girl from Kanpur's slums and groom her to become India's Prime Minister.
Literary significance & criticism
The book has been well-received by critics.[4] Shashi Tharoor, who released the book in Mumbai, called it “a delightfully interesting and gripping read”. According to Tharoor, works of authors like Ashwin Sanghi were the culmination of the process started by Salman Rushdie’s Midnight's Children in which a specifically Indian voice was used to narrate the story, almost as though the author were writing exclusively for Indian audiences.[5] Even though the book is a historical tale, it has been called a contemporary novel that uses colloquial terms.[6] In an interview with Flipkart, the author clarified that his intention was to write a fast-paced thriller that would entertain more than educate.[7] Some literary observers view the author's work as part of a reawakening in India's mythology.[8] A review in the book blog INDIAreads, described Chanakya's Chant as a very compelling read with very real characters, settings and manoeuvres. "It is much akin to reading a blow by blow account of Indian politics today. Of course as Chanakya’s story so aptly shows, it is not very different from Indian politics 2500 years ago either. So really the scams, scandals, corruption, collateral damage, war mongering, innocent deaths, communal riots – all the ills that we accuse the modern day politicians of -are nothing new. Nor is their use for gaining power a particular characteristic of our “depraved” leaders. Power has always come at a price and the price as Chanakya points out is not just one’s emotions but one’s conscience as well. This is the message that flows out of Chanakya’s Chant."[9]
It won the 2010 Vodafone Crossword Book Award (Popular Award).See also
- Ashwin Sanghi
- The Rozabal Line
References
- ^ IANS, New Delhi, February 24, 2011
- ^ India Today, April 4, 2011
- ^ DNA, June 19, 2011
- ^ Hindustan Times, New Delhi, January 28, 2011
- ^ Video recording of speech by Shashi Tharoor regarding Chanakya's Chant
- ^ Indian Express, Mumbai, March 24, 2011
- ^ FlipkartBlog, Bangalore, March 9, 2011
- ^ The Telegraph, Kolkata, March 6, 2011
- ^ INDIAreads Blog, Delhi, March 1, 2011
External links
Categories:- 2010 novels
- Indian novels
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