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Bharat Series
Chanakya's Chant
Vodafone Crossword Popular Choice Award Winner 2010
About the Book: Chanakya's Chant
The year is 340 BC. A hunted, haunted Brahmin youth vows revenge for the gruesome murder of his beloved father.
Cold, calculating, cruel and armed with a complete absence of accepted morals, he becomes the most powerful political strategist in Bharat and succeeds in uniting a ragged country against the invasion of the army of that demigod, Alexander the Great.
Pitting the weak edges of both forces against each other, he pulls off a wicked and astonishing victory and succeeds in installing Chandragupta on the throne of the mighty Mauryan empire.
History knows him as the brilliant strategist Chanakya. Satisfied and a little bored by his success as a kingmaker, through the simple summoning of his gifted mind, he recedes into the shadows to write his Arthashastra, the science of wealth .
But history, which exults in repeating itself, revives Chanakya two and a half millennia later, in the avatar of Gangasagar Mishra, a Brahmin teacher in small town India who becomes puppeteer to a host of ambitious individuals including a certain slum child who grows up into a beautiful and powerful woman.
Modern India happens to be just as riven as ancient Bharat by class hatred, corruption and divisive politics and this landscape is Gangasagar s feasting ground. Can this wily pandit who preys on greed, venality and sexual deviance bring about another miracle of a united India?
Will Chanakya's chant work again? Ashwin Sanghi, the bestselling author of The Rozabal Line, brings you yet another historical spine chiller.
About the Book: Chanakya's Chant
The year is 340 BC. A hunted, haunted Brahmin youth vows revenge for the gruesome murder of his beloved father.
Cold, calculating, cruel and armed with a complete absence of accepted morals, he becomes the most powerful political strategist in Bharat and succeeds in uniting a ragged country against the invasion of the army of that demigod, Alexander the Great.
Pitting the weak edges of both forces against each other, he pulls off a wicked and astonishing victory and succeeds in installing Chandragupta on the throne of the mighty Mauryan empire.
History knows him as the brilliant strategist Chanakya. Satisfied and a little bored by his success as a kingmaker, through the simple summoning of his gifted mind, he recedes into the shadows to write his Arthashastra, the science of wealth .
But history, which exults in repeating itself, revives Chanakya two and a half millennia later, in the avatar of Gangasagar Mishra, a Brahmin teacher in small town India who becomes puppeteer to a host of ambitious individuals including a certain slum child who grows up into a beautiful and powerful woman.
Modern India happens to be just as riven as ancient Bharat by class hatred, corruption and divisive politics and this landscape is Gangasagar s feasting ground. Can this wily pandit who preys on greed, venality and sexual deviance bring about another miracle of a united India?
Will Chanakya's chant work again? Ashwin Sanghi, the bestselling author of The Rozabal Line, brings you yet another historical spine chiller.
450 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
1537 people are currently reading
13070 people want to read
About the author
Ashwin Sanghi
28 books2,740 followersAshwin Sanghi—entrepreneur by day, novelist by night—has all the usual qualifications of an Indian businessman. Schooling at the Cathedral & John Connon School, a B.A. (Economics) from St. Xavier’s College, and an M.B.A. (Finance) from the Yale School of Management. Besides being a businessman, Ashwin manages a parallel career as writer of fiction. Ashwin’s first novel, ‘The Rozabal Line’ was originally self-published in 2007 under his anagram-pseudonym—Shawn Haigins. The book was subsequently published by Westland in 2008 and 2010 in India under his own name and went on to become a national bestseller. ‘Chanakya’s Chant’ is his second novel in the historical-fiction genre. The book has remained on AC Nielsen’s India Bookscan Top-10 for all of 2011. It won the ‘2010 Crossword-Vodafone Popular Choice Award’ in September 2011. UTV has purchased the movie rights to the book and a film based upon the story is expected soon. Dr. Shashi Tharoor released the novel in Mumbai calling it an “enthralling, delightfully-interesting and gripping read with historical research that is impressive.” The Hindustan Times has called it “a cracker of a page-turner.” Ashwin is currently working on his third novel, as yet untitled, that explores business strategies in ancient India. Ashwin is also working towards a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Bangor University in Wales. Ashwin lives in Mumbai with his wife, Anushika, and his eight-year old son, Raghuvir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,556 reviews
September 5, 2016
Grievously disappointing- neither story feels authentic; the character development is shallow, the conversation inane, the victories too easily attained. There is also no effort to match the conversational idiom with the historical context in which the stories are supposedly set, the time lines of both the story-strands are obfuscated due to the lack of attention to details and the inconsistencies (A few examples: "Ashoka trees" are referred to in the Maurya tale for e.g., while Ashoka was Chandragupta's grandson, there is a reference to "Afghanistan" as well predating the first mention of that name by at least 2000 years, UP is supposed to send 85 MPs and Bihar 54- these are pre-2000 figures before the formation of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand respectively- but the other references to current events such as cash-for-votes, etc are very contemporary, to just name a few off-the-cuff, there are a myriad others). The dialogues are so uninspired as to be excruciating- they borrow liberally and unimaginatively from a random book of quotations and also the delectable BBC TV series "Yes Minister" and "Yes Prime Minister" for effect, and are served up simplistically without any respect whatsoever for the reader's intelligence.
One wonders why the author could not have taken the effort to make the dialogues more original and effective by recasting whatever pearls of wisdom he found relevant to his tales in his own words, and in a much wittier manner.To the author's credit, he does provide a list of references and acknowledgments for his research in which the reader's suspicions are confirmed- that this novel was intellectually and in literary terms an effort steeped in complacence and mediocrity,(if not outright indolence) and by relying on regurgitation of popular quotes for inspiration fritters away magnificently, a great opportunity to not only revitalize, by retelling, an ancient Indian tale but also to comment with insight and wisdom on the murky world of contemporary Indian politics. Will be meticulously laying off Ashwin Sanghi's works in future.
One wonders why the author could not have taken the effort to make the dialogues more original and effective by recasting whatever pearls of wisdom he found relevant to his tales in his own words, and in a much wittier manner.To the author's credit, he does provide a list of references and acknowledgments for his research in which the reader's suspicions are confirmed- that this novel was intellectually and in literary terms an effort steeped in complacence and mediocrity,(if not outright indolence) and by relying on regurgitation of popular quotes for inspiration fritters away magnificently, a great opportunity to not only revitalize, by retelling, an ancient Indian tale but also to comment with insight and wisdom on the murky world of contemporary Indian politics. Will be meticulously laying off Ashwin Sanghi's works in future.
November 10, 2013
What IS it with Indian writers? Why does it take time and a substantial number of pages before you can get used to their style of writing? I had the same problem with Amish Tripathi and now with Sanghi.
I started this book with the hope of learning something about India in the 4th century. I finished this book only because the neatnik in me refuses to leave a book half-read.
Two parallel narratives - one centered around Chanakya's machinations, the other around Chanakya's modern avatar, Gangasagar Mishra - are the only thing that prevent this book from plunging into unadulterated, teeth-gritting boredom. Just when you feel that you'd like to strangle Chanakya for being an inhuman, overthinking clod, along comes Gangasagar to remind you that the dregs of the world of fictional characters are vastly populated indeed.
The subject and storyline of the book could have been fairly interesting if they hadn't been bogged down by the soulless writing and flat characters. Even with two narratives, the book is hopelessly one-dimensional. The writing is more like reporting, except when Sanghi remembers that it's supposed to be creative fiction and inserts a sentence or two to appease the more discerning.
What irked me most about the book, perhaps irrationally, was the liberal use of quotes from personalities as varied as Dale Carnegie and Joseph Stalin. It was downright incongruous to read about a 4th century Brahmin quoting Mae West. It was an exercise in self-control to stop my eyes rolling in frustration whenever Chanakya or Gangasagar glibly spouted yet another quote.
The book is being relegated to the back of my book shelf. If only to hide from myself the reminder that I'm hopelessly inable to prevent the automatic movement of my eyeballs and eyebrows when confronted with bullshit.
I started this book with the hope of learning something about India in the 4th century. I finished this book only because the neatnik in me refuses to leave a book half-read.
Two parallel narratives - one centered around Chanakya's machinations, the other around Chanakya's modern avatar, Gangasagar Mishra - are the only thing that prevent this book from plunging into unadulterated, teeth-gritting boredom. Just when you feel that you'd like to strangle Chanakya for being an inhuman, overthinking clod, along comes Gangasagar to remind you that the dregs of the world of fictional characters are vastly populated indeed.
The subject and storyline of the book could have been fairly interesting if they hadn't been bogged down by the soulless writing and flat characters. Even with two narratives, the book is hopelessly one-dimensional. The writing is more like reporting, except when Sanghi remembers that it's supposed to be creative fiction and inserts a sentence or two to appease the more discerning.
What irked me most about the book, perhaps irrationally, was the liberal use of quotes from personalities as varied as Dale Carnegie and Joseph Stalin. It was downright incongruous to read about a 4th century Brahmin quoting Mae West. It was an exercise in self-control to stop my eyes rolling in frustration whenever Chanakya or Gangasagar glibly spouted yet another quote.
The book is being relegated to the back of my book shelf. If only to hide from myself the reminder that I'm hopelessly inable to prevent the automatic movement of my eyeballs and eyebrows when confronted with bullshit.
February 24, 2013
Chanakya's Chant is not one but two similarly-themed novels, spanning across two different timelines, combined into one thrilling roller-coaster ride that you are bound to enjoy throughout.
The first story follows the machinations of the ingenious Brahmin Chanakya, who mentors a young Chandragupta Maurya, right from childhood into finally ascending the throne of Magadh, the most powerful kingdom in ancient India. The latter one deals with Gangasagar Mishra, a Chanakya-like character, who plays kingmaker in modern India.
The book begins on an eerie note as we are introduced to an ailing Gangasagar Mishra, awaiting his imminent death in a hospital ward, while he watches his protege of years, Chandini Gupta, get shot while taking oath as the eighteenth Prime Minister of India on television.
Soon after this we find ourselves plunging headlong into the core of the story - the early life of Gangasagar Mishra, his discovery of Chandini in a slum of Kanpur and his subsequent foray into politics. Alternately the story switches back 2300 years into the past, to the era of Dhanananda's misrule and we're shown a young Chanakya vowing to avenge the death of his father Chanak by bringing about the downfall of the oppressive king of Magadh.
Chanakya's Chant may put you off politics for good (that is, if the unending series of scams and scandals and douchebag politicians of this country haven't done that already). For it repeatedly stresses on the importance of forsaking moral values or ethical considerations, to reach your goal. Both Chanakya and his modern-day avatar, Gangasagar, are depicted as wickedly shrewd, ruthless men, who are hell-bent on achieving success at any cost, allowing nothing to stand in their way.
And by the time you reach the end of the book, you will find yourself despising them with a passion as most of their political strategies and decisions, border more on the criminal side rather than just immoral. But then again you will also begrudgingly marvel at the cunning plans they devise.
Having read Ashwin Sanghi's The Rozabal Line quite a few months back, I was aware of his writing style. But when I took up Chanakya's Chant, all thanks to the grace of the Blogadda book-reviews program, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
Unlike The Rozabal Line, this book focuses on weaving a tale of political intrigue without meandering into various subplots or a series of seemingly unconnected stories. Here the events are the key driving factors while detailing and characters become secondary. Although this much is evident that a painstaking amount of research has been put into gathering facts about Chanakya's life and the political environment of our country.
The book will bring back memories of history lessons in school when you were taught tales of valor of historical figures like Paurus or Alexander or even Chandragupta Maurya. Although it may also plant the seeds of a nagging suspicion that not all their actions may have been as glorious or awe-inspiring as our history text books suggest.
The narration switches back and forth between the two different eras, ending every arc of each story at a point which just heightens the suspense. And one is compelled to read on to find out what happens next.
The book can't exactly be called un-put-down-able till the end, but it packs in enough punch to make you want to reach the end as quickly as possible nevertheless.
Coming to the negatives, both Chanakya and Gangasagar are portrayed as almost invincible men and their plans are seldom or never thwarted. Not much attention is given to fleshing out the characters of Chandragupta or Chandini. And at the end, you are faced with the bitter realization, that they were perhaps nothing more than mere puppets at the hands of their respective mentors. Cliches, such as pregnancy out of wedlock or sacrificing love in order to realize bigger ambitions, abound. Dialogues are somewhat weak as well and there are hardly any quotes worth remembering.
And what's most regrettable of all, none of the characters leave a lasting impression on you.
But even so, Chanakya's Chant remains a well-written political thriller. I give it a 3.5 stars out of 5 more 'cause of the fact that it successfully kept me hooked from the beginning till the end.
**A review copy was kindly forwarded to me by blogadda in exchange for an honest review**
The first story follows the machinations of the ingenious Brahmin Chanakya, who mentors a young Chandragupta Maurya, right from childhood into finally ascending the throne of Magadh, the most powerful kingdom in ancient India. The latter one deals with Gangasagar Mishra, a Chanakya-like character, who plays kingmaker in modern India.
The book begins on an eerie note as we are introduced to an ailing Gangasagar Mishra, awaiting his imminent death in a hospital ward, while he watches his protege of years, Chandini Gupta, get shot while taking oath as the eighteenth Prime Minister of India on television.
Soon after this we find ourselves plunging headlong into the core of the story - the early life of Gangasagar Mishra, his discovery of Chandini in a slum of Kanpur and his subsequent foray into politics. Alternately the story switches back 2300 years into the past, to the era of Dhanananda's misrule and we're shown a young Chanakya vowing to avenge the death of his father Chanak by bringing about the downfall of the oppressive king of Magadh.
Chanakya's Chant may put you off politics for good (that is, if the unending series of scams and scandals and douchebag politicians of this country haven't done that already). For it repeatedly stresses on the importance of forsaking moral values or ethical considerations, to reach your goal. Both Chanakya and his modern-day avatar, Gangasagar, are depicted as wickedly shrewd, ruthless men, who are hell-bent on achieving success at any cost, allowing nothing to stand in their way.
And by the time you reach the end of the book, you will find yourself despising them with a passion as most of their political strategies and decisions, border more on the criminal side rather than just immoral. But then again you will also begrudgingly marvel at the cunning plans they devise.
Having read Ashwin Sanghi's The Rozabal Line quite a few months back, I was aware of his writing style. But when I took up Chanakya's Chant, all thanks to the grace of the Blogadda book-reviews program, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
Unlike The Rozabal Line, this book focuses on weaving a tale of political intrigue without meandering into various subplots or a series of seemingly unconnected stories. Here the events are the key driving factors while detailing and characters become secondary. Although this much is evident that a painstaking amount of research has been put into gathering facts about Chanakya's life and the political environment of our country.
The book will bring back memories of history lessons in school when you were taught tales of valor of historical figures like Paurus or Alexander or even Chandragupta Maurya. Although it may also plant the seeds of a nagging suspicion that not all their actions may have been as glorious or awe-inspiring as our history text books suggest.
The narration switches back and forth between the two different eras, ending every arc of each story at a point which just heightens the suspense. And one is compelled to read on to find out what happens next.
The book can't exactly be called un-put-down-able till the end, but it packs in enough punch to make you want to reach the end as quickly as possible nevertheless.
Coming to the negatives, both Chanakya and Gangasagar are portrayed as almost invincible men and their plans are seldom or never thwarted. Not much attention is given to fleshing out the characters of Chandragupta or Chandini. And at the end, you are faced with the bitter realization, that they were perhaps nothing more than mere puppets at the hands of their respective mentors. Cliches, such as pregnancy out of wedlock or sacrificing love in order to realize bigger ambitions, abound. Dialogues are somewhat weak as well and there are hardly any quotes worth remembering.
And what's most regrettable of all, none of the characters leave a lasting impression on you.
But even so, Chanakya's Chant remains a well-written political thriller. I give it a 3.5 stars out of 5 more 'cause of the fact that it successfully kept me hooked from the beginning till the end.
**A review copy was kindly forwarded to me by blogadda in exchange for an honest review**
June 23, 2014
Starting with the wrong political map of India, this book had given me enough reasons to hate it. I wanted to stop by the time I was on 100th page but carried on just to observe how irritating this book might go. And it topped the list of the most stupid book I have ever read. Businessmen of Mauryan age are shown SHAMPOOING but in reality, the process CHAMPI (etymology of shampoo has this word in centre) was evolved during Mughal reigns and term/method of Shampoo came in existence in 18th century. Chankya is shown using language which is not only filthy but extremely down market. Imagine a scholar of such repute using hindi equivalent of terms like Rat’s ass, Horse’s shit, Camel’s fart. Agreed that the book is in English, but then also the revered academician, master strategician and renowned pandit will never ever use such foul language.
And not only words spoken by chankaya’s character but the whole book’s language is very shabby and distasteful. You will find feeling of deja vu in many expressions and idioms. Redundancy made it unbearable to read. Usage of good words is limited and there is no depth in the characters of story. The characters are so shallow that you will feel no connection with any of them, even the lead characters of both stories. Time frame of current story has got many irregularities and it was hilarious to read the way Gangasagar makes plans to introduce Ikrambhai in politics and makes him CM of UP in the very next elections. And he decides who will be next Prime Minister almost by will according to the situation and never gets any trouble in executing his plans. Although starting his career as a simpleton guy he manages to get influential friends in US and Britain and in high posts of all important departments. He grooms and makes the fate of student leaders and manages to put them in such posts like Governor of RBI and blah blah blah……… and just read the extremely abrupt end on Chankya’s story. It’s so confusing that you will be left wondering whatever the hell happened.
Usage of wonderful quotes and saying by great people are the only point to be lauded, but then in this age of information it is rarely a problem to read such quotes. We have enough self-help books in case you are not net savvy! Single star rating that I gave is just because of these quotes.
This book is cheaper than the B grade Bollywood movie. No wonders its heavy sales has made UTV to buy the rights of this book. Because as said by Charles McCabe (also used in this book): any clod can have the facts, having an opinion is an art!
And not only words spoken by chankaya’s character but the whole book’s language is very shabby and distasteful. You will find feeling of deja vu in many expressions and idioms. Redundancy made it unbearable to read. Usage of good words is limited and there is no depth in the characters of story. The characters are so shallow that you will feel no connection with any of them, even the lead characters of both stories. Time frame of current story has got many irregularities and it was hilarious to read the way Gangasagar makes plans to introduce Ikrambhai in politics and makes him CM of UP in the very next elections. And he decides who will be next Prime Minister almost by will according to the situation and never gets any trouble in executing his plans. Although starting his career as a simpleton guy he manages to get influential friends in US and Britain and in high posts of all important departments. He grooms and makes the fate of student leaders and manages to put them in such posts like Governor of RBI and blah blah blah……… and just read the extremely abrupt end on Chankya’s story. It’s so confusing that you will be left wondering whatever the hell happened.
Usage of wonderful quotes and saying by great people are the only point to be lauded, but then in this age of information it is rarely a problem to read such quotes. We have enough self-help books in case you are not net savvy! Single star rating that I gave is just because of these quotes.
This book is cheaper than the B grade Bollywood movie. No wonders its heavy sales has made UTV to buy the rights of this book. Because as said by Charles McCabe (also used in this book): any clod can have the facts, having an opinion is an art!
September 9, 2012
This is Sanghi's second novel I read, after his more recent 'The Krishna Key'. Frankly, I was disappointed. Average ratings suggested that Chanakya's Chant is better received than Krishna Key, and it was with that expectation and excitement that I purchased this. But, as I mentioned, this is disappointing.
The historical part depicting Chanakya is relatively grippier, but the modern day narrative is too contrived, naive and amateurish. The modern tale reads more like an ordinary Bollywood script with politics as a background and scheming, dirty, evil, corrupt characters for the various roles. More often than not the quotes, sentences and dialogues are a simplistic and literal translation of spoken Hindi into English, which leaves a lot to be desired. Add to that numerous, purportedly high wisdom one-liners to be found in almost every paragraph, all of which make Gangasagar (the modern 'Chanakya' in this novel) sound too unreal. However cunning and shrewd a person may be, I doubt they converse in such an unreal manner through quoting quotes every second breath.
Further, there are too many sub-plots and small incidents that keep getting narrated, making the plot very confusing and complex. As it is the reader has to be keep track of two parallel times, and to add to that numerous complexities is unnecessary. Things could have been kept a lot simpler, and leaner, and the book therefore ought to have been about a 100-150 pages shorter.
While I like the overall idea and concept behind this novel, the treatment, narrative and the language are a big let down when judged in the context of the high expectations set for this novel from an author who clearly is vastly gifted and different from the ordinary.
The historical part depicting Chanakya is relatively grippier, but the modern day narrative is too contrived, naive and amateurish. The modern tale reads more like an ordinary Bollywood script with politics as a background and scheming, dirty, evil, corrupt characters for the various roles. More often than not the quotes, sentences and dialogues are a simplistic and literal translation of spoken Hindi into English, which leaves a lot to be desired. Add to that numerous, purportedly high wisdom one-liners to be found in almost every paragraph, all of which make Gangasagar (the modern 'Chanakya' in this novel) sound too unreal. However cunning and shrewd a person may be, I doubt they converse in such an unreal manner through quoting quotes every second breath.
Further, there are too many sub-plots and small incidents that keep getting narrated, making the plot very confusing and complex. As it is the reader has to be keep track of two parallel times, and to add to that numerous complexities is unnecessary. Things could have been kept a lot simpler, and leaner, and the book therefore ought to have been about a 100-150 pages shorter.
While I like the overall idea and concept behind this novel, the treatment, narrative and the language are a big let down when judged in the context of the high expectations set for this novel from an author who clearly is vastly gifted and different from the ordinary.
February 3, 2012
There can be stories we don't agree with, but the manner of story telling can make us fall in love with it and the same story can go on to remain etched in our memory for a long time. That's the beauty of 'Chanakya's Chant' and the genius of Ashwin Sanghi.
This book did to me what 'Godfather' had done a month back. As a person, there was no way that I could appreciate the 'wisdom' being propagated by either Chanakya or his modern avatar Professor Gangasagar Mishra- that ends justify the means, that all politics is dirty, that revealing your true feelings never serves any good- in short that you have to suppress everything that is human in you and be consumed by the ultimate aim. Yet I couldn't help appreciating the same 'wisdom' as a psychology student. The sheer intellect and raw cunning of the both the kingmakers began to impress me from the word go and the breath-taking pace at which it ran compelled me to finish it in 2 settings flat.
Anybody who has a fair amount of interest in politics or historical/mythological fiction will love this book. Even if she/he doesn't agree with what it espouses.
This book did to me what 'Godfather' had done a month back. As a person, there was no way that I could appreciate the 'wisdom' being propagated by either Chanakya or his modern avatar Professor Gangasagar Mishra- that ends justify the means, that all politics is dirty, that revealing your true feelings never serves any good- in short that you have to suppress everything that is human in you and be consumed by the ultimate aim. Yet I couldn't help appreciating the same 'wisdom' as a psychology student. The sheer intellect and raw cunning of the both the kingmakers began to impress me from the word go and the breath-taking pace at which it ran compelled me to finish it in 2 settings flat.
Anybody who has a fair amount of interest in politics or historical/mythological fiction will love this book. Even if she/he doesn't agree with what it espouses.
September 15, 2013
Two months - that's how long it took me to finish this book. In all my reading life, never have I struggled through a book as much as I did with this one. Chanakya's chant, written by Ashwin Sanghi, is a let down on all fronts - The story never seems to take off, the writing is appalling at best (and that is still paying a compliment to the writer), the plot seems ill thought out and what's worse, it is even more horribly executed. In all, this book is a disaster.
For the (fortunately) uninitiated, Chanakya's Chant is a story that's set in two different eras - one of Chanakya from 350 BC and another of Pandit Gangasagar Mishra (PGM), set in present day India. The supposedly parallel stories of the two protagonits have only one thing in common - both Chankya and PGM are consumed by their desire for power. But that's where the similarities end. While Chanakya's story requires nothing more than referencing historical textbooks on the subject, PGM's story is a shabbily written collection of all the scams that have plagued India over the past decade. One cannot fail to see the similarities between the telecom scam in the book and the 2G scam in India. And this is just one of the many scams that the writer (un)successfully tries to pass off under the guise original story telling. What makes you squirm with every page though, is the style of writing. It is horrific to see jokes and one liners that you did not even enjoy as a teenager, occupy space in the book. Lines such as "we all know that children in the dark cause accidents and accidents in the back seat cause children" are an indication of how mediocre writing is accompanied by absolute lack of creativity. The protagonists seem to be like demi-gods who can get anything they want just by wishing for it. Towards the end of the book, one tends to get the feeling that Ashwin Sanghi is trying to glorify all that is wrong with the Indian Political system today and nothing can depress the reader more than that.
I could go on and on but I am going to end on this note - if you really believe that reading provides you with the much needed intellectual nourishment or are even looking for light hearted entertainment, avoid this one like the plague!
For the (fortunately) uninitiated, Chanakya's Chant is a story that's set in two different eras - one of Chanakya from 350 BC and another of Pandit Gangasagar Mishra (PGM), set in present day India. The supposedly parallel stories of the two protagonits have only one thing in common - both Chankya and PGM are consumed by their desire for power. But that's where the similarities end. While Chanakya's story requires nothing more than referencing historical textbooks on the subject, PGM's story is a shabbily written collection of all the scams that have plagued India over the past decade. One cannot fail to see the similarities between the telecom scam in the book and the 2G scam in India. And this is just one of the many scams that the writer (un)successfully tries to pass off under the guise original story telling. What makes you squirm with every page though, is the style of writing. It is horrific to see jokes and one liners that you did not even enjoy as a teenager, occupy space in the book. Lines such as "we all know that children in the dark cause accidents and accidents in the back seat cause children" are an indication of how mediocre writing is accompanied by absolute lack of creativity. The protagonists seem to be like demi-gods who can get anything they want just by wishing for it. Towards the end of the book, one tends to get the feeling that Ashwin Sanghi is trying to glorify all that is wrong with the Indian Political system today and nothing can depress the reader more than that.
I could go on and on but I am going to end on this note - if you really believe that reading provides you with the much needed intellectual nourishment or are even looking for light hearted entertainment, avoid this one like the plague!
September 20, 2012
The book has two stories- one takes place at around 2000 years ago (about chanakya) and the other about the current politicians and the political scenario. – More or less both are same.
The current story reveals about the politicians, how they get elected, and how low they will go to get elected, etcetera. While reading this (current scenario part), I feel more like reading a newspaper than a book. Those who have the habit of reading\hearing the news daily (that too during election time) you can skip these chapters and continue with the old chanakya version. There isn’t anything new to tell about this version of story.
About Chanakya’s era: I haven’t read anything about chanakya (just a single line in my history subject in school, mentioning he is a prominent member in Chandragupta’s reign) before starting this book. So I had a very high opinion on him but now I’m very much disappointed. I have read some other historical fictions before in Tamil written by kalki. I used to love those books. After finishing those books sometimes I feel like ‘Wow!! We were born in a superb country even though now our own politicians have destroyed it’. The characters in those books will do anything with dignity to keep up their promise where as here in this book they will do anything (lying, murdering and never keeping their promise) just to get something for themselves. After reading this book I’m thinking Oh my God!! Even 2000 years ago our rulers are just like our current politicians? I don’t like the thought and so I don’t like the book...
The current story reveals about the politicians, how they get elected, and how low they will go to get elected, etcetera. While reading this (current scenario part), I feel more like reading a newspaper than a book. Those who have the habit of reading\hearing the news daily (that too during election time) you can skip these chapters and continue with the old chanakya version. There isn’t anything new to tell about this version of story.
About Chanakya’s era: I haven’t read anything about chanakya (just a single line in my history subject in school, mentioning he is a prominent member in Chandragupta’s reign) before starting this book. So I had a very high opinion on him but now I’m very much disappointed. I have read some other historical fictions before in Tamil written by kalki. I used to love those books. After finishing those books sometimes I feel like ‘Wow!! We were born in a superb country even though now our own politicians have destroyed it’. The characters in those books will do anything with dignity to keep up their promise where as here in this book they will do anything (lying, murdering and never keeping their promise) just to get something for themselves. After reading this book I’m thinking Oh my God!! Even 2000 years ago our rulers are just like our current politicians? I don’t like the thought and so I don’t like the book...
January 8, 2012
With google.com and timeofindia.com mentioned in the acknowledgments, one doesn't have to look further to get a sense of the kind of book that Chanakya's Chant is. Narrating two parallel stories side by side - that of Chanakya and the other of a modern day political strategist and his protege, the book ends up appearing as a school boy attempt at historical fiction. The terrible book also proves that a PhD in Creative Writing is no yardstick to measure the quality of the author. Worth avoiding if you're a serious reader!
June 9, 2023
Not exactly a review, more of a thought. For I don't exactly remember as much of the story as I should've to come up with one. An extremely well researched novel that travels a path quite disregarded by the other Indian authors of this genre, the storytelling is, however the only place the quite long novel falls short off. For this is a story that demands to be read by the mass of the country, it delineates the political issues as such. But the two-way storytelling isn't at its best, neither is it capable of holding your attention at many crucial points. But come again, it's the author's second novel, someone who experiments a lot with his writing style.
To tell the truth, I didn't get a few things the first time I tried to read it, because I was awfully ignorant of things such as politics and economics. You need to persevere a lot to get to the end. And that's the thing. Most won't do so, because simply, they won't find it worthy enough.
To tell the truth, I didn't get a few things the first time I tried to read it, because I was awfully ignorant of things such as politics and economics. You need to persevere a lot to get to the end. And that's the thing. Most won't do so, because simply, they won't find it worthy enough.
May 19, 2013
And with this book, I've finished reading all of Ashwin Sanghi's works. While I do not certainly consider that as some sort of achievement, it feels good to know that you've read all the books of some author, no matter how good or bad he is.
So, coming to the immensely popular 'Chanakya's Chant', a political thriller set in two different ages - in ancient Bharat & in the present day. Sanghi exults in using the 'history repeats itself' theme in all his novels & this one is no different, although I must say he uses it rather well this time.
The plot opens in a hospital ward at Kanpur as an aging Pandit Gangasagar Mishra watches his protege Chandini Gupta get shot moments after taking oath as the Prime Minister of India. Then we are zapped back in time to two & a half millennia ago, where we see how Vishnugupta sees his beloved father mercilessly killed by the king of Magadha & how he christens himself 'Chanakya' while swearing revenge. The tale keeps oscillating between these two different time periods as Sanghi traces a pattern (that's what this book is about, after all) in the rise of both these men, who eventually turn out to be master political strategists & ultimate kingmakers of their era - Chanakya mentoring Chandragupta Maurya & Gangasagar tutoring the beautiful slum-child Chandini Gupta.
What this book very well explores is how cold, cruel, cunning & calculating individuals both Chanakya & Gangasagar are - who will use the dirtiest tricks in the manual to achieve their ulterior motives. As a result, the characterisation of the protagonists is very good indeed, but the other key characters in this book seem to be mere puppets in their hands (which they are, actually). This kind of manipulation reminded me of Sidney Sheldon's bestselling novel 'Master of the Game', but the comparison is totally meant as a compliment.
Despite the author liberally distorting historical accounts from the time of Chanakya for the purpose of storytelling, I found it gripping throughout. What I also liked is how Sanghi takes inspiration from recent events in India's political sphere to create the present day scenario which Gangasagar considers his battleground.
The cliched characters, poor dialogue (sorry Mr. Sanghi, but supposedly 'witty' statements do not always come across as witty) & a couple of unbelievable sequences in the latter half of the book (one being an action sequence feat. the honourable Home Minister of India, reminding you of mindless Bollywood masala potboilers) mar this erstwhile engaging thriller. I really wish that the author had stuck to telling us the good story he had on his hands rather than trying to make it more 'filmable', if you can call that.
Still, Ashwin Sanghi manages to produce his best work till date in 'Chanakya's Chant' & I can see why it managed to rule the bestseller charts for over a year. My rating is 3.5 stars & upwards for this riveting political thriller (extra marks for the beautiful cover art!) & it is certainly one of the better books I've come across in Indian popular fiction. Recommended for those who like their dose of thrills with a splash of history in it.
So, coming to the immensely popular 'Chanakya's Chant', a political thriller set in two different ages - in ancient Bharat & in the present day. Sanghi exults in using the 'history repeats itself' theme in all his novels & this one is no different, although I must say he uses it rather well this time.
The plot opens in a hospital ward at Kanpur as an aging Pandit Gangasagar Mishra watches his protege Chandini Gupta get shot moments after taking oath as the Prime Minister of India. Then we are zapped back in time to two & a half millennia ago, where we see how Vishnugupta sees his beloved father mercilessly killed by the king of Magadha & how he christens himself 'Chanakya' while swearing revenge. The tale keeps oscillating between these two different time periods as Sanghi traces a pattern (that's what this book is about, after all) in the rise of both these men, who eventually turn out to be master political strategists & ultimate kingmakers of their era - Chanakya mentoring Chandragupta Maurya & Gangasagar tutoring the beautiful slum-child Chandini Gupta.
What this book very well explores is how cold, cruel, cunning & calculating individuals both Chanakya & Gangasagar are - who will use the dirtiest tricks in the manual to achieve their ulterior motives. As a result, the characterisation of the protagonists is very good indeed, but the other key characters in this book seem to be mere puppets in their hands (which they are, actually). This kind of manipulation reminded me of Sidney Sheldon's bestselling novel 'Master of the Game', but the comparison is totally meant as a compliment.
Despite the author liberally distorting historical accounts from the time of Chanakya for the purpose of storytelling, I found it gripping throughout. What I also liked is how Sanghi takes inspiration from recent events in India's political sphere to create the present day scenario which Gangasagar considers his battleground.
The cliched characters, poor dialogue (sorry Mr. Sanghi, but supposedly 'witty' statements do not always come across as witty) & a couple of unbelievable sequences in the latter half of the book (one being an action sequence feat. the honourable Home Minister of India, reminding you of mindless Bollywood masala potboilers) mar this erstwhile engaging thriller. I really wish that the author had stuck to telling us the good story he had on his hands rather than trying to make it more 'filmable', if you can call that.
Still, Ashwin Sanghi manages to produce his best work till date in 'Chanakya's Chant' & I can see why it managed to rule the bestseller charts for over a year. My rating is 3.5 stars & upwards for this riveting political thriller (extra marks for the beautiful cover art!) & it is certainly one of the better books I've come across in Indian popular fiction. Recommended for those who like their dose of thrills with a splash of history in it.
May 18, 2015
Beautifully written book.
Polictics is a Genre which is difficult to get into and make interesting.
Most of the times you predict what might happen and get it right.
In this book I was surprised by the twists and turn and cunningness of both CHanakya and Gangasagar.
The link between the 2 characters is awesome, Chandni and Chandragupta are postrayed nicely too.
The characters are so well defined and writen, you just keep going and going into the book despite it being a long book.
The langauge is smooth and transition between various episodes is nicely done.
I liked the way the 2 stories run in parallel and portray the growth of the 2 leaders.
Politics can be a beautiul tool to help the country grom or Kill it. I like the way chankya says "Leader is not the server of the population but a master, he just portrays that he is the server" also keep 10% money for yourself but give the rest out to people. You should make money but help the country grow so that you can make more money.
The Hook and Crook methods of getting votes is nicely described.
I just hope current say politicians help the counrty grow and also the people, I dont care if they get kickbacks and make money as long as People grow and are well off
I full 5/5 from me
Devil D
Polictics is a Genre which is difficult to get into and make interesting.
Most of the times you predict what might happen and get it right.
In this book I was surprised by the twists and turn and cunningness of both CHanakya and Gangasagar.
The link between the 2 characters is awesome, Chandni and Chandragupta are postrayed nicely too.
The characters are so well defined and writen, you just keep going and going into the book despite it being a long book.
The langauge is smooth and transition between various episodes is nicely done.
I liked the way the 2 stories run in parallel and portray the growth of the 2 leaders.
Politics can be a beautiul tool to help the country grom or Kill it. I like the way chankya says "Leader is not the server of the population but a master, he just portrays that he is the server" also keep 10% money for yourself but give the rest out to people. You should make money but help the country grow so that you can make more money.
The Hook and Crook methods of getting votes is nicely described.
I just hope current say politicians help the counrty grow and also the people, I dont care if they get kickbacks and make money as long as People grow and are well off
I full 5/5 from me
Devil D
October 4, 2011
When i watched the video above, i expected the book to be a powerful one, not in the sense of writing, but in the strength of the main characters. I expected a lion, righteous and proud, ready to protect the defenceless, what i got instead was a fox, scheming and cunning, ready to take down everyone, including the woman he loves. I expected a king and got a minister instead. But the minister isn’t a shoddy one, he’s the kind that keeps you occupied so much that you wouldn’t want to put down the book under any circumstances. Not even to answer nature’s call.
The full review is on my blog. http://mychocolethandbag.wordpress.co...
The full review is on my blog. http://mychocolethandbag.wordpress.co...
October 4, 2011
Historically inaccurate but otherwise a good read...
January 30, 2011
From: Review at my blog
Chanakya’s Chant is Ashwin Sanghi’s second novel after The Rozabal Line. It revolves around the life of a Pandit who emerges as a modern day Chanakya.
The style is similar to his debut, linking modern events to those that occurred two millennia ago. We have seen this style many times, flipping between two parallel events – only here, the parallel events are from long ago.
A Pandit from Kanpur with financial banking from a merchant and manpower from a Muslim strongman manages to unite the people of the city and assume political power. He makes his disciple becomes the most powerful woman in the country, just as Chanakya enthroned Chandragupta Maurya. As he develops the plot, Sanghi touches upon many issues in modern India – religious friction, corruption and the like. He is clearly inspired by real world events such as the tussle between the Ambani brothers, cash for votes, the fodder scam and the 2G scam(yes, that one too!). There are several instances where the media is cleverly used by devious politicians – #MediaMafia, anyone?
The description of Uttar Pradesh, I cannot comment upon for I have confined myself to Tamil Nadu most of my life. However, the unhygienic conditions and the slum might very well fit into any large town in India. One could draw parallels between the two central characters and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh too. A minor quibble I see is that Sanghi has portrayed the Keralite as talking English with a funny accent. He cannot be further from the truth here – I know many Keralites who have a neutral accent; I haven’t seen a person speak with the accent he writes. There are several quotes that are wrongly attributed to Chanakya, but the Acknowledgements & References section makes this clear.
I do not have a large appetite for historical thrillers, and so I cannot compare this work with many others. It might seem at the outset that Sanghi is developing into a desi Dan Brown, given his penchant for history. I hope we can expect a deviation from this genre in his future work.
There is a lot of gore – and not all of it is blood. There are several descriptions of coitus and mutilations that are not really necessary – just page filling material. There is too much profanity on show too. The book could have been shorter by a fifth, and even then I doubt it’d have been a gripping read. However, it is a pleasing way to pass a lazy Saturday afternoon. It is quite entertaining and the history is not as wrong as in many other in its genre. I was expecting better, especially after The Rozabal Line, but Sanghi has not disappointed either.
Plus: A good plot, Nice real-life parallels,Enjoyable
Minus: Too much page filler, Stereotyping
Rating: 6.5/10
Chanakya’s Chant is Ashwin Sanghi’s second novel after The Rozabal Line. It revolves around the life of a Pandit who emerges as a modern day Chanakya.
The style is similar to his debut, linking modern events to those that occurred two millennia ago. We have seen this style many times, flipping between two parallel events – only here, the parallel events are from long ago.
A Pandit from Kanpur with financial banking from a merchant and manpower from a Muslim strongman manages to unite the people of the city and assume political power. He makes his disciple becomes the most powerful woman in the country, just as Chanakya enthroned Chandragupta Maurya. As he develops the plot, Sanghi touches upon many issues in modern India – religious friction, corruption and the like. He is clearly inspired by real world events such as the tussle between the Ambani brothers, cash for votes, the fodder scam and the 2G scam(yes, that one too!). There are several instances where the media is cleverly used by devious politicians – #MediaMafia, anyone?
The description of Uttar Pradesh, I cannot comment upon for I have confined myself to Tamil Nadu most of my life. However, the unhygienic conditions and the slum might very well fit into any large town in India. One could draw parallels between the two central characters and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh too. A minor quibble I see is that Sanghi has portrayed the Keralite as talking English with a funny accent. He cannot be further from the truth here – I know many Keralites who have a neutral accent; I haven’t seen a person speak with the accent he writes. There are several quotes that are wrongly attributed to Chanakya, but the Acknowledgements & References section makes this clear.
I do not have a large appetite for historical thrillers, and so I cannot compare this work with many others. It might seem at the outset that Sanghi is developing into a desi Dan Brown, given his penchant for history. I hope we can expect a deviation from this genre in his future work.
There is a lot of gore – and not all of it is blood. There are several descriptions of coitus and mutilations that are not really necessary – just page filling material. There is too much profanity on show too. The book could have been shorter by a fifth, and even then I doubt it’d have been a gripping read. However, it is a pleasing way to pass a lazy Saturday afternoon. It is quite entertaining and the history is not as wrong as in many other in its genre. I was expecting better, especially after The Rozabal Line, but Sanghi has not disappointed either.
Plus: A good plot, Nice real-life parallels,Enjoyable
Minus: Too much page filler, Stereotyping
Rating: 6.5/10
May 16, 2016
বইটা প্লট এককথায় অসাধারন। পলিটিক্যাল থ্রিলার সবসময় ই আমার ভাল লাগে। খুন, জখম, হত্যা, প্রতারণা কার না ভাল লাগে (অন্তত বইয়ের পাতায়)। লেখক খুব সুন্দর ভাবে বর্তমান ও অতীত, দুই প্রেক্ষাপটেই রাজনীতির ঘোরপ্যাচ আর কদর্য দিক টা বই এ তুলে ধরতে পেরেছেন।
প্লট যত ভালই হোক বইকে টানার জন্য যে সাইড স্টোরি গুলা দরকার সেগুলা যদি সেইরকম ভাল না হয় ত পলিটিক্যাল থ্রিলার ঝুলে যাবে। এখানেও তাই হয়েছে। দুইটা আলাদা কাহিনী বলে লেখকের এখানে অনেক ভাবে আগানোর অপশন ছিল। কিন্তু মাঝেমাঝেই তিনি যে পথে এগিয়েছেন তা বইটাকে ঝুলিয়ে দিয়েছে। লেখকের লেখার স্টাইল অনেকটাই সিডনী শেলডনের মত। আসলে অনেক্টা না বলে পুরাটা বলাই ভাল। কিন্তু শেলডনের বই তে যেমন অবিশ্বাস্য ঘটনা কম থাকে, এখানে উল্টাটাই সঠিক। অথচ লেখক চাইতেই এগুলোকে বাদ দিতে পারতেন। যেখানে দুটা ঘটনা যথেষ্ট সেখানে তিনটা, এমনকি কোথাও কোথাও চারটা ঘটনা এনে লেখক কাহিনীকে কিছুটা হলেও ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত করেছেন। কেননা এই ৩য় বা ৪র্থ ঘটনা সম্ভব হলেও অবাস্তব। চাইলেই একটা দেশের হোম মিনিষ্টার প্রকাশ্য দিবালোকে একজন মানুষকে আর ও ১৪ জন সাক্ষীর সামনে।মেরে ফেলতে পারেন না। যেমন টা একজন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী পারেন না একদল হিজড়াকে রাষ্ট্রীয় ব্যাংকের ঋণ খেলাপিদের কাছ থেকে ঋণ আদায়ের জন্য ভাড়া করতে। এরকম কয়েক্টা ঘটনা আসলে বইটাকে এক্টু হলেও অবাস্তব বানিয়ে দিয়েছে।
এবার আসি এক্টু সেনসিটিভ এক্টা দিকে। পুরা বইতে হিন্ট দেয়া হিয়েছে যে গংগাসাগর আসলে চাণক্যেরই পুনঃজন্ম। এটা সেনসিটিভ বিষয় না। সেনসিটিভ বিষয় হল বইএর শেষ দিকে এসে ডার্ক ম্যাজিক এর উপস্থাপনা এবং এর প্রায় সাথে সাথেই এর ফল দেখতে পাওয়া। বই এর নামকরণ টাও এক্টু অদ্ভুত। শেষের দিকে এসে লেখক চাণক্যর চ্যান্ট বা শ্লোক এর প্রসংটা পরিষ্কার করেছেন। কিন্তু এখানেও টিপিক্যাল ইন্ডিয়ান ব্যাপার স্যাপার। মেনে নিতে কষ্ট হয় না কিন্তু আরো ভাল কিছু আশা করছিলাম।
আর ও দুই একটা ছোট খাট ব্যাপার নিয়ে কনফিউশন হয়, স্পয়লার বলে বাদ দিলাম।
শেষ মেষ এককথায় বইটা ভাল, কিন্তু না পড়লেও আফসোস করার কিছু নাই (যদি আপনি পলিটিক্যাল থ্রিলারের ভক্ত না হন ত)।
প্লট যত ভালই হোক বইকে টানার জন্য যে সাইড স্টোরি গুলা দরকার সেগুলা যদি সেইরকম ভাল না হয় ত পলিটিক্যাল থ্রিলার ঝুলে যাবে। এখানেও তাই হয়েছে। দুইটা আলাদা কাহিনী বলে লেখকের এখানে অনেক ভাবে আগানোর অপশন ছিল। কিন্তু মাঝেমাঝেই তিনি যে পথে এগিয়েছেন তা বইটাকে ঝুলিয়ে দিয়েছে। লেখকের লেখার স্টাইল অনেকটাই সিডনী শেলডনের মত। আসলে অনেক্টা না বলে পুরাটা বলাই ভাল। কিন্তু শেলডনের বই তে যেমন অবিশ্বাস্য ঘটনা কম থাকে, এখানে উল্টাটাই সঠিক। অথচ লেখক চাইতেই এগুলোকে বাদ দিতে পারতেন। যেখানে দুটা ঘটনা যথেষ্ট সেখানে তিনটা, এমনকি কোথাও কোথাও চারটা ঘটনা এনে লেখক কাহিনীকে কিছুটা হলেও ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত করেছেন। কেননা এই ৩য় বা ৪র্থ ঘটনা সম্ভব হলেও অবাস্তব। চাইলেই একটা দেশের হোম মিনিষ্টার প্রকাশ্য দিবালোকে একজন মানুষকে আর ও ১৪ জন সাক্ষীর সামনে।মেরে ফেলতে পারেন না। যেমন টা একজন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী পারেন না একদল হিজড়াকে রাষ্ট্রীয় ব্যাংকের ঋণ খেলাপিদের কাছ থেকে ঋণ আদায়ের জন্য ভাড়া করতে। এরকম কয়েক্টা ঘটনা আসলে বইটাকে এক্টু হলেও অবাস্তব বানিয়ে দিয়েছে।
এবার আসি এক্টু সেনসিটিভ এক্টা দিকে। পুরা বইতে হিন্ট দেয়া হিয়েছে যে গংগাসাগর আসলে চাণক্যেরই পুনঃজন্ম। এটা সেনসিটিভ বিষয় না। সেনসিটিভ বিষয় হল বইএর শেষ দিকে এসে ডার্ক ম্যাজিক এর উপস্থাপনা এবং এর প্রায় সাথে সাথেই এর ফল দেখতে পাওয়া। বই এর নামকরণ টাও এক্টু অদ্ভুত। শেষের দিকে এসে লেখক চাণক্যর চ্যান্ট বা শ্লোক এর প্রসংটা পরিষ্কার করেছেন। কিন্তু এখানেও টিপিক্যাল ইন্ডিয়ান ব্যাপার স্যাপার। মেনে নিতে কষ্ট হয় না কিন্তু আরো ভাল কিছু আশা করছিলাম।
আর ও দুই একটা ছোট খাট ব্যাপার নিয়ে কনফিউশন হয়, স্পয়লার বলে বাদ দিলাম।
শেষ মেষ এককথায় বইটা ভাল, কিন্তু না পড়লেও আফসোস করার কিছু নাই (যদি আপনি পলিটিক্যাল থ্রিলারের ভক্ত না হন ত)।
December 12, 2015
This book was a replacement by my brother for "Thousand Splendid Suns" as he lost it. The former book is one of my favorites. I can't say I liked Chanakya chant as much as 'TSS', but both are divergent from each other so who was I to judge?
I started reading this one just because it was quite interesting from the excerpt. First of all, you don't have to like a story to like a book and that is something I understood after reading this one. Gangasagar was like Chanakya's in many ways but not in all and so was the case with the story. The story is gripping, entertaining and different.I won't lie so yeah there were times when I wanted to beat the crap out of some characters but I still couldn't stop reading it. I couldn't help it.
It was also my first thriller book by an Indian author, YES YOU GUESSED RIGHT! I READ THIS BOOK A LONG TIME AGO AND I LOVED IT.I had tried reading stories (genre- romance) before by some Indian authors but i couldn't complete them.They were just so dull and uninteresting. Then, I bought Krishna Key and so came other Indian authors in my life. Right now, I am completing Amish's other series.I love his books!The Shiva Series rocks!
But this book will always have a special place in my life!
Five stars!
I started reading this one just because it was quite interesting from the excerpt. First of all, you don't have to like a story to like a book and that is something I understood after reading this one. Gangasagar was like Chanakya's in many ways but not in all and so was the case with the story. The story is gripping, entertaining and different.I won't lie so yeah there were times when I wanted to beat the crap out of some characters but I still couldn't stop reading it. I couldn't help it.
It was also my first thriller book by an Indian author, YES YOU GUESSED RIGHT! I READ THIS BOOK A LONG TIME AGO AND I LOVED IT.I had tried reading stories (genre- romance) before by some Indian authors but i couldn't complete them.They were just so dull and uninteresting. Then, I bought Krishna Key and so came other Indian authors in my life. Right now, I am completing Amish's other series.I love his books!The Shiva Series rocks!
But this book will always have a special place in my life!
Five stars!
March 17, 2017
Another block buster from Ashwin. He manages to link historical figure of Chanakya and his Arthashastra with modern day politics. Racy in narrative the climax is delightful and leaves the reader satisfied. The book mirrors the domestic political scenario of India and mirrors it against the dynastic politics of ancient India.
March 4, 2016
Story revolves around Gangasagar, a modern day kingmaker in India. Beautifully written.
October 28, 2014
Indian fiction is in evolutionary phase. Moving from the old school NRI authors like Rushdie, Chitra Banerjee, Jhumpa and Naipaul writing on their native for the foreign audience, to the new breed of indigenous authors like Chetan Bhagat, Anuja Chauhan experimenting with middle class subjects, to intelligent thinking man's writers like Manu Joseph and Arvind Adiga, and the historic/mythological fiction writers like Amish and Ashwin Sanghi.
So it was inevitable for me to pick one Ashwin Sanghi book. This one came highly recommended, especially Chanakya is an intriguing character, his economic and political understanding has been the root of all of Indian History and current political scenario. The man was a visionary and has influenced the ancient history in such a deep manner that it resonates till date.
Ashwin Sanghi starts off well with a very strong storyline and characters, shifting between historic journey of Chanakya and his protégé Chandragupta and the re-creation of Gangasagar and Chandini in the current times. The former was handled well by the author probably because it was retelling of the history the way it has been written and re-written over times.
The real skill of the author would be in his ability to re-create it again in the modern times, but here is where I found a slag in author's handling of the subject. Where Gangasagar proved to be great Chanakya, Chandini failed to impress. He could have very well picked up any random girl rather than focus on grooming Chandini since childhood. I understand it was to be a girl protégé as per the ancient prophecy, but then again she seemed like a puppet in hands of Gangasagar rather than an intelligent thinking woman.
Other than that the book tries to club two stories and two lifetimes in a short version, so speed and pace sometimes lead to short cut solutions and easy maneuvers by the author. Overall a good attempt. Here are a few lines from the book which I liked:
There cannot be a country without people, and there is no kingdom without a country. It's the people who constitude a kingdom; like a barren cow, a kingdom without people yields nothing.
Worry is like a Rocking chair, it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere.
A free society is one where it's safe to be unpopular, but then, freedom of speech also carries with it the freedom not to listen.
Remember that it's often easier to get forgiveness rather than permission.
Wise men think all they say, fools say all they think.
Bravery is simply being the only one who knows that you're afraid.
Birds don't build nests on fruitless trees, whores have no love for poor men, and citizens don't obey a powerless king!
So it was inevitable for me to pick one Ashwin Sanghi book. This one came highly recommended, especially Chanakya is an intriguing character, his economic and political understanding has been the root of all of Indian History and current political scenario. The man was a visionary and has influenced the ancient history in such a deep manner that it resonates till date.
Ashwin Sanghi starts off well with a very strong storyline and characters, shifting between historic journey of Chanakya and his protégé Chandragupta and the re-creation of Gangasagar and Chandini in the current times. The former was handled well by the author probably because it was retelling of the history the way it has been written and re-written over times.
The real skill of the author would be in his ability to re-create it again in the modern times, but here is where I found a slag in author's handling of the subject. Where Gangasagar proved to be great Chanakya, Chandini failed to impress. He could have very well picked up any random girl rather than focus on grooming Chandini since childhood. I understand it was to be a girl protégé as per the ancient prophecy, but then again she seemed like a puppet in hands of Gangasagar rather than an intelligent thinking woman.
Other than that the book tries to club two stories and two lifetimes in a short version, so speed and pace sometimes lead to short cut solutions and easy maneuvers by the author. Overall a good attempt. Here are a few lines from the book which I liked:
There cannot be a country without people, and there is no kingdom without a country. It's the people who constitude a kingdom; like a barren cow, a kingdom without people yields nothing.
Worry is like a Rocking chair, it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere.
A free society is one where it's safe to be unpopular, but then, freedom of speech also carries with it the freedom not to listen.
Remember that it's often easier to get forgiveness rather than permission.
Wise men think all they say, fools say all they think.
Bravery is simply being the only one who knows that you're afraid.
Birds don't build nests on fruitless trees, whores have no love for poor men, and citizens don't obey a powerless king!
July 1, 2017
There is no disease so destructive as lust - Chanakya
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Chanakya's Chant
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Chanakya's Chant গল্পের শুরু হয় কানপুরের এক হসপিটালে যেখানে পন্ডিত গঙ্গাধর দেখতে পায় তার শিষ্য চন্দিনী গুপ্তা ভারতের প্রধানমন্ত্রী হবার শপথ নিচ্ছে। তারপরেই কাহিনী চলে যায় ২৩০০ বছর আগের ভারতে , সেখানে দেখানো হতে থাকে কিভাবে বিষ্ণুগুপ্ত নামের এক বালক চানক্য নামের এক মহাপন্ডিতে রূপান্তরিত হয়।
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তারপর দুই কাহিনী সমান্তরালে চলতে থাকে আর দুই সময়ের দুই protagonist এর কিভাবে উত্থান ঘটে আর কিভাবে তারা তাদের শিষ্যদের শিক্ষা দিতে থাকে তা আস্তে আস্তে জানা যায়।শেষ পর্যন্ত গঙ্গাসাগর কি তার শিষ্যকে সঠিকভাবে শিক্ষা দিতে পারে ? সে কি চান্যক্যের মত পুরো ভারতকে একতাবদ্ধ করতে পারে ? এ প্রশ্নের উত্তর পাওয়া যাবে বইয়ের শেষে।
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Chanakya's Chant বইটার নামডাক বেশ শুনেছিলাম,অবশেষে শেষ করলাম। বই এর মূল কাহিনী দুই ভাগে বিভক্ত ,একটি ২৩০০ বছর আগের ভারত আরেকটি বর্তমান সময়ের ভারত। ২৩০০ বছর আগের কাহিনীর protagonist চাণক্য যতটা ইম্প্রেসিভ , বর্তমান সময়ের protagonist গঙ্গাসাগর ঠিক ততটাই আন ইম্প্রেসিভ। বাকি ক্যারেক্টার গুলোর বেশিরভাগ এর কোন বৈচিত্র্য নেই ,সবাই চাণক্য আর গঙ্গাসাগরের কাছে পুতুলের মত।
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Chanakya's Chant বইয়ের প্লট খুবই ভালো কিন্তু লেখনী দুর্বল মনে হয়েছে। চাণক্যের মত চরিত্র থাকায় বেশ কিছু দারুন সংলাপ আশা করেছিলাম ,সেদিক দিয়েও হতাশ। ওভার অল খারাপ লাগেনি ,তবে যতটুকু expectation ছিল তা পুরোপুরি পূরণ হয়নি।যাদের প্রাচীন ভারত সম্পর্কে হিস্টোরিক্যাল থ্রিলার পড়তে পছন্দ বা চাণক্য এর জীবনী সম্পর্কে জানায় আগ্রহ আছে তারা পড়ে দেখতে পারেন।
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Chanakya's Chant
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Chanakya's Chant গল্পের শুরু হয় কানপুরের এক হসপিটালে যেখানে পন্ডিত গঙ্গাধর দেখতে পায় তার শিষ্য চন্দিনী গুপ্তা ভারতের প্রধানমন্ত্রী হবার শপথ নিচ্ছে। তারপরেই কাহিনী চলে যায় ২৩০০ বছর আগের ভারতে , সেখানে দেখানো হতে থাকে কিভাবে বিষ্ণুগুপ্ত নামের এক বালক চানক্য নামের এক মহাপন্ডিতে রূপান্তরিত হয়।
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তারপর দুই কাহিনী সমান্তরালে চলতে থাকে আর দুই সময়ের দুই protagonist এর কিভাবে উত্থান ঘটে আর কিভাবে তারা তাদের শিষ্যদের শিক্ষা দিতে থাকে তা আস্তে আস্তে জানা যায়।শেষ পর্যন্ত গঙ্গাসাগর কি তার শিষ্যকে সঠিকভাবে শিক্ষা দিতে পারে ? সে কি চান্যক্যের মত পুরো ভারতকে একতাবদ্ধ করতে পারে ? এ প্রশ্নের উত্তর পাওয়া যাবে বইয়ের শেষে।
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Chanakya's Chant বইটার নামডাক বেশ শুনেছিলাম,অবশেষে শেষ করলাম। বই এর মূল কাহিনী দুই ভাগে বিভক্ত ,একটি ২৩০০ বছর আগের ভারত আরেকটি বর্তমান সময়ের ভারত। ২৩০০ বছর আগের কাহিনীর protagonist চাণক্য যতটা ইম্প্রেসিভ , বর্তমান সময়ের protagonist গঙ্গাসাগর ঠিক ততটাই আন ইম্প্রেসিভ। বাকি ক্যারেক্টার গুলোর বেশিরভাগ এর কোন বৈচিত্র্য নেই ,সবাই চাণক্য আর গঙ্গাসাগরের কাছে পুতুলের মত।
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Chanakya's Chant বইয়ের প্লট খুবই ভালো কিন্তু লেখনী দুর্বল মনে হয়েছে। চাণক্যের মত চরিত্র থাকায় বেশ কিছু দারুন সংলাপ আশা করেছিলাম ,সেদিক দিয়েও হতাশ। ওভার অল খারাপ লাগেনি ,তবে যতটুকু expectation ছিল তা পুরোপুরি পূরণ হয়নি।যাদের প্রাচীন ভারত সম্পর্কে হিস্টোরিক্যাল থ্রিলার পড়তে পছন্দ বা চাণক্য এর জীবনী সম্পর্কে জানায় আগ্রহ আছে তারা পড়ে দেখতে পারেন।
November 9, 2017
First class Political thriller and very good making of nexus revolving the present and the past. Well I think Ashwin gone through Arthasasthra to write this book. :P :)
I love the powerful messages of chanakya..
1.A debt should be paid off till the last pana and an enemy destroyed till the last very trace.
2.One doesn't need to pluck fruit fall by themselves. Focus on the bigger purpose and the rest of your manifesto will follow as a matter of course.
3.The moot point is not whether we are strong enough, but whether we can make the opposition weak enough.
4.Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die.
5.The early bird catches the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.
6.If a snake isn't poisonous, all the more reason that it should pretend to be so.
7.Birds don’t build nests on fruitless tree, whores have no love for poor men, and citizens don’t obey a powerless king.
8.Never interrupt the enemy while he is in the process of making a mistake.
9.When lion fight over a goat, it’s usually the hyena that gets away with the prize.
10.Politicians are like diapers, they need to be changed frequently.
11.One should keep one’s friend close and enemies even closer.
I love the powerful messages of chanakya..
1.A debt should be paid off till the last pana and an enemy destroyed till the last very trace.
2.One doesn't need to pluck fruit fall by themselves. Focus on the bigger purpose and the rest of your manifesto will follow as a matter of course.
3.The moot point is not whether we are strong enough, but whether we can make the opposition weak enough.
4.Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die.
5.The early bird catches the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.
6.If a snake isn't poisonous, all the more reason that it should pretend to be so.
7.Birds don’t build nests on fruitless tree, whores have no love for poor men, and citizens don’t obey a powerless king.
8.Never interrupt the enemy while he is in the process of making a mistake.
9.When lion fight over a goat, it’s usually the hyena that gets away with the prize.
10.Politicians are like diapers, they need to be changed frequently.
11.One should keep one’s friend close and enemies even closer.
August 27, 2011
"A free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular." -- Adlai Stevenson
The quote is from this book, and there are several such quotes in the book interwoven in dialogues of characters. The book is fast paced thriller, which I liked but yet I give it three stars because I am no fan of 'Chanakya'. Chanakya stands on the opposite end of moral stands of Mahatma Gandhi who said bad means are not justified to achieve anything (good or bad). Whereas Chanakyra represents either too ordinary person or at best pessimist who says it is not possible to achieve good without committing some sins.
The quote is from this book, and there are several such quotes in the book interwoven in dialogues of characters. The book is fast paced thriller, which I liked but yet I give it three stars because I am no fan of 'Chanakya'. Chanakya stands on the opposite end of moral stands of Mahatma Gandhi who said bad means are not justified to achieve anything (good or bad). Whereas Chanakyra represents either too ordinary person or at best pessimist who says it is not possible to achieve good without committing some sins.
June 30, 2018
An intriguing read it was. Ashwin Sanghi does it again. Recommended for thriller and historical fiction readers.
April 26, 2022
Liked the idea and the basic premise of the novel. However, the act of equating Chandragupta's AKhand Bharat coronation with modern political tussle is exaggerated and it doesn't behove.
July 16, 2013
Adi Shakti, Namo Namah
Sarab Shakti, Namo Namah
Prithum Bhagvati, Namo Namah
Kundalini Mata Shakti
Mata Shakti, Namo Namah
-Chanakya's chant
Before reading this book,I didn't know that a book about some political genius guru can be this interesting. It totally blew my mind. Started reading during my train journey and couldn't stop till it was finished.
Author has nailed it while portraying ancient and present day politics in India. Rise of Chanakya from a simple and talented Brahmin kid to becoming greatest kingmaker who ever lived, couldn't have been written in a more intense and gripping story tale. Complex situations,cunning solutions by Chanakya,full of action implementation by his disciples and to the point results ,make this book a must read for all politics lovers.
Ashwin sanghi leaves no stones unturned while scripting the story of Pt. Gangasagar Mishra , the modern day avatar of Chanakya. Gangasagar,a brahmin from Kanpur,uses his sharp and cunning intelligence to make the career of his protegee Chandini Gupta. This story of modern day politics,made me think twice about the actual events that are happening in Indian politics. All the twists and turns were feeling like deja vu.
A must read indeed.
Sarab Shakti, Namo Namah
Prithum Bhagvati, Namo Namah
Kundalini Mata Shakti
Mata Shakti, Namo Namah
-Chanakya's chant
Before reading this book,I didn't know that a book about some political genius guru can be this interesting. It totally blew my mind. Started reading during my train journey and couldn't stop till it was finished.
Author has nailed it while portraying ancient and present day politics in India. Rise of Chanakya from a simple and talented Brahmin kid to becoming greatest kingmaker who ever lived, couldn't have been written in a more intense and gripping story tale. Complex situations,cunning solutions by Chanakya,full of action implementation by his disciples and to the point results ,make this book a must read for all politics lovers.
Ashwin sanghi leaves no stones unturned while scripting the story of Pt. Gangasagar Mishra , the modern day avatar of Chanakya. Gangasagar,a brahmin from Kanpur,uses his sharp and cunning intelligence to make the career of his protegee Chandini Gupta. This story of modern day politics,made me think twice about the actual events that are happening in Indian politics. All the twists and turns were feeling like deja vu.
A must read indeed.
March 17, 2017
As every election unfolds, media and so-called sephologists go to a tizzy over someone whom they call The Chanakya. Then, as the dust settles over the landscape, either the supposed kingmaker is hailed, or the poor sod gets roasted as a con job.
But what about the real deal?
What if a modern incarnation of Chanakya, working with the sole aim of uniting the nation under one ruler, decides to enter the game?
This novel is a case study with respect to that scenario.
It's also the finest make-believe biographical fiction about Chanakya, that we have had.
Above all, it's a gripping political thriller that takes us on an utterly amoral, yet hugely entertaining ride.
Recommended, but please, don't try to put ALL those maxims into usage.
Like potent medicine, those lessons are to be taken one at a time.
But what about the real deal?
What if a modern incarnation of Chanakya, working with the sole aim of uniting the nation under one ruler, decides to enter the game?
This novel is a case study with respect to that scenario.
It's also the finest make-believe biographical fiction about Chanakya, that we have had.
Above all, it's a gripping political thriller that takes us on an utterly amoral, yet hugely entertaining ride.
Recommended, but please, don't try to put ALL those maxims into usage.
Like potent medicine, those lessons are to be taken one at a time.
March 6, 2012
Somehow this novel lacks some of the greatest wisdom offered by Chankaya and focuses mainly on ‘Bheda, the principle of dividing and Danda- the principle of punishment’. That’s why I think it becomes a totally heartless read where you actually start hating the protagonist, simply because you don’t agree with most of the things which the protagonist does.
The only good part of this book is that it is fast paced but it is way too predictable. In fact, once you are through with the first 50 odd pages, you can straight away jump to the last few pages to know what really happens and, believe me, the crap in between can simply be imagined with 98% accuracy.
One of those books with a promising cover/title, but leaves us utterly disappointed.
The only good part of this book is that it is fast paced but it is way too predictable. In fact, once you are through with the first 50 odd pages, you can straight away jump to the last few pages to know what really happens and, believe me, the crap in between can simply be imagined with 98% accuracy.
One of those books with a promising cover/title, but leaves us utterly disappointed.
August 19, 2022
A historical fiction with seamless shuttling between two timelines, Ashwin Sanghi has done a fantastic job, setting up the characters. In contrary to the number of characters in the Rozbal Line, the transitions between time periods and characters are much easier. I’m impressed with all the political and other sorts of research that must have gone into the writing of this book.
September 4, 2013
I am sorry to disappoint you. But please blame Dan Brown for the same.
I am talking of his new offering: Inferno, a novel based on Dante’s works, artifacts with mysteries; throw in a Biomedical weapon, a deadly virus to set off the hero Langdon saddled with a short-term amnesia as he stumbles though the besieged Florence city ( Alas! This hero has not seen Ghajini, so he is not as smart as Aamir Khan!) aided by a bald lady Doctor on a wild goose chase, all the while ducking from Military Police..
Confusing enough? But wait.. The assured thrills are there, and so are the clever twists at the end of each Chapter through which the author takes us on a nail-biting and often puzzling chase covering Italy and Turkey with the couple ducking from bullets, à la Jason Bourne cum James Bond.
Without revealing more as spoilers, I will answer your questions…
Was it Good?: ..haa….hmm..Yeah, but….sort of…
What was not Good?: When the end becomes impotent and unproductive, you come away unsatisfied.. Like what was this entire futile chase about?
Now to decipher the last two italicized words above (Sorry, Dan Brown, you are getting to me), you will have to read the book to ‘the end’.
The Chanakaya’s Chant is the second one of his novels
This is a supposed to be a Historical and Political drama , one thread on the famous Chanakya , the wily, intelligent but crooked, smart but cunning, successful but cruel Brahmin guide and philosopher who has a personal vendetta agenda to settle with the present Magadha king.
He plots , confuses and creates a holy mess in warfare among neighboring kings and their states to get what he wants…He wants to install his protégé Chandragupta Maurya in place..
The second thread of story running parallels is that of modern day politician/ king maker called
Gangasagar who does the same with modern political parties, forges alliances with crooked mine owners, real estate businessmen, hijras, “honey traps” and assassins to make and break alliances that he wants in power.
He also has his puppet PM candidate who he wants to establish in Delhi…
How things turn out for the original Chanakya and this modern chanakya , Gangasagar is the rest of the story.
It is Ok, its like a new type of story line mixing History and present day politics together . It is not very complimentary on Great Brahmin Chanakya as we know him; in fact author tries his best to make him detestable and as villainous as possible.
The writing style is not so great. It is mere hype that this author is hailed as 'Indian Dan Brown' (of Da Vinci code fame)
This book is supposed to be made into a Hindi movie by UTV.
Rating: 3/5
I am talking of his new offering: Inferno, a novel based on Dante’s works, artifacts with mysteries; throw in a Biomedical weapon, a deadly virus to set off the hero Langdon saddled with a short-term amnesia as he stumbles though the besieged Florence city ( Alas! This hero has not seen Ghajini, so he is not as smart as Aamir Khan!) aided by a bald lady Doctor on a wild goose chase, all the while ducking from Military Police..
Confusing enough? But wait.. The assured thrills are there, and so are the clever twists at the end of each Chapter through which the author takes us on a nail-biting and often puzzling chase covering Italy and Turkey with the couple ducking from bullets, à la Jason Bourne cum James Bond.
Without revealing more as spoilers, I will answer your questions…
Was it Good?: ..haa….hmm..Yeah, but….sort of…
What was not Good?: When the end becomes impotent and unproductive, you come away unsatisfied.. Like what was this entire futile chase about?
Now to decipher the last two italicized words above (Sorry, Dan Brown, you are getting to me), you will have to read the book to ‘the end’.
The Chanakaya’s Chant is the second one of his novels
This is a supposed to be a Historical and Political drama , one thread on the famous Chanakya , the wily, intelligent but crooked, smart but cunning, successful but cruel Brahmin guide and philosopher who has a personal vendetta agenda to settle with the present Magadha king.
He plots , confuses and creates a holy mess in warfare among neighboring kings and their states to get what he wants…He wants to install his protégé Chandragupta Maurya in place..
The second thread of story running parallels is that of modern day politician/ king maker called
Gangasagar who does the same with modern political parties, forges alliances with crooked mine owners, real estate businessmen, hijras, “honey traps” and assassins to make and break alliances that he wants in power.
He also has his puppet PM candidate who he wants to establish in Delhi…
How things turn out for the original Chanakya and this modern chanakya , Gangasagar is the rest of the story.
It is Ok, its like a new type of story line mixing History and present day politics together . It is not very complimentary on Great Brahmin Chanakya as we know him; in fact author tries his best to make him detestable and as villainous as possible.
The writing style is not so great. It is mere hype that this author is hailed as 'Indian Dan Brown' (of Da Vinci code fame)
This book is supposed to be made into a Hindi movie by UTV.
Rating: 3/5
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