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Chandrakanta - Act 1
Kumar Virendrasingh, the crown prince of Naugadh is desperately in love with the breathtakingly beautiful Chandrakanta - princess of Vijaygadh. But evil ministers and wily ayyars seem bent on strewing rocks in the path of true love. And then even fate turns traitor to Kumar Virendra as Kumari Chandrakanta gets trapped in a tilism - a fanciful maze from which it seems impossible to escape. It is now up to Kumar Virendra and his team of fiercely loyal ayyars - Tejsingh and Devisingh to crack the tilism and set his beloved Chandrakanta free. How will Virendra manage this daunting task? What twists and turns will this compelling tale take? Who are ayyars? What exactly is a tilism? Read on for your answers….
It is perhaps an irony that ‘Chandrakanta’ should be translated into English. For when Babu Devkinandan Khatri penned and published it in the year 1888, so popular it became that several people actually learnt Hindi to be able to read it. In those days, Urdu and not Hindi was the language of the masses in north India.
However, the role of ‘Chandrakanta’ in serenading the then-unpopular Hindi is now over. More than a century down the line, it seems a shame to bar the English reading public from this enchanting tale of romance, fantasy, adventure and suspense.
‘Chandrakanta’ has been categorized broadly as a romance and a suspense thriller that makes old-timers such as my adorable grandparents smile with nostalgia. In Virendrasingh and Chandrakanta one can visualize the quintessential hero and the heroine. Kroorsingh and Shivduttsingh together form the darker side of the drama. Tejsingh and Chapala, Devisingh and Champa furnish the sub-plot. A plethora of other characters presenting varying shades of valor, loyalty, camaraderie and devotion serve to make ‘Chandrakanta’ an absorbing read indeed.
Chandrakanta’s story describes for readers the quaint, old-world charm of kings and queens, their wealth and luxury, their traditions and beliefs, glories of a culture lost in time. Readers will approve the light in which Khatri showcases his heroines - giving them a dash of independence and immense fortitude, often letting them outclass their male counterparts. Readers will also appreciate the modern, scientific outlook of Khatri, who refused to acknowledge black magic and ghosts in a superstition-ridden 19th century India and attempted to explain the fantastical aspects of his tale using engineering, architecture and technology.
The locations described in Chandrakanta are real, set amidst nature in modern day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in eastern India. Here roamed a young Khatri, in the forests of Naugadh and Chakia, getting inspired to create a plot that resonated instantly with the masses. Many of these locations such as the forts of Chunar, Vijaygadh and Naugadh and the dense forests of the Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary are preserved till date, open for tourists.
If the popularity of the Indian television series based but sketchily on ‘Chandrakanta’ and ‘Chandrakanta Santati’ is anything to go by, its English version will find wide readability. It is the translator’s hope that readers are gained, and not lost in translation.
It is perhaps an irony that ‘Chandrakanta’ should be translated into English. For when Babu Devkinandan Khatri penned and published it in the year 1888, so popular it became that several people actually learnt Hindi to be able to read it. In those days, Urdu and not Hindi was the language of the masses in north India.
However, the role of ‘Chandrakanta’ in serenading the then-unpopular Hindi is now over. More than a century down the line, it seems a shame to bar the English reading public from this enchanting tale of romance, fantasy, adventure and suspense.
‘Chandrakanta’ has been categorized broadly as a romance and a suspense thriller that makes old-timers such as my adorable grandparents smile with nostalgia. In Virendrasingh and Chandrakanta one can visualize the quintessential hero and the heroine. Kroorsingh and Shivduttsingh together form the darker side of the drama. Tejsingh and Chapala, Devisingh and Champa furnish the sub-plot. A plethora of other characters presenting varying shades of valor, loyalty, camaraderie and devotion serve to make ‘Chandrakanta’ an absorbing read indeed.
Chandrakanta’s story describes for readers the quaint, old-world charm of kings and queens, their wealth and luxury, their traditions and beliefs, glories of a culture lost in time. Readers will approve the light in which Khatri showcases his heroines - giving them a dash of independence and immense fortitude, often letting them outclass their male counterparts. Readers will also appreciate the modern, scientific outlook of Khatri, who refused to acknowledge black magic and ghosts in a superstition-ridden 19th century India and attempted to explain the fantastical aspects of his tale using engineering, architecture and technology.
The locations described in Chandrakanta are real, set amidst nature in modern day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in eastern India. Here roamed a young Khatri, in the forests of Naugadh and Chakia, getting inspired to create a plot that resonated instantly with the masses. Many of these locations such as the forts of Chunar, Vijaygadh and Naugadh and the dense forests of the Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary are preserved till date, open for tourists.
If the popularity of the Indian television series based but sketchily on ‘Chandrakanta’ and ‘Chandrakanta Santati’ is anything to go by, its English version will find wide readability. It is the translator’s hope that readers are gained, and not lost in translation.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2019
2 people are currently reading
About the author
Deepti L. Sharma
17 books32 followersA closet writer until recently... A full-time environmental consultant...Running, or at least trying to run two start-ups and bringing up, or at least trying to bring up two kids and a hubby. As an author and a reader, I am perhaps similar to the butterfly, flitting from genre to genre and exploring all tastes.
I want to blend poetry with ecology, science with nature, psychology with illustration and fact with imagination. As a veridical writer, my challenge is to ensure that what is real becomes as entertaining as possible.
I want to blend poetry with ecology, science with nature, psychology with illustration and fact with imagination. As a veridical writer, my challenge is to ensure that what is real becomes as entertaining as possible.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 19, 2022
This is an exciting translation of the classic fiction - Chandrakanta. Readers who cannot enjoy the original because of language barrier should undoubtedly try this translated version.
All my childhood memories are afresh now. I remember watching this famous show on TV along with my family. As I read the book, I could recall moments like Kroorsingh's Aykoo or my mother's intense dislike for Virendrasingh for multiple reasons, one that he gives up quickly fainting every time and also for his attraction towards Bankanya. I also googled the cast pictures because I was so much in love with the lead character Shikha Swaroop back then and still am. Also, while doing so, I realised one of my favourite actors Late Irfan Khan, had played the role of Badrinath.
I am so glad I read this book.
For more such reviews visit - https://penitratherkeyit.com/
All my childhood memories are afresh now. I remember watching this famous show on TV along with my family. As I read the book, I could recall moments like Kroorsingh's Aykoo or my mother's intense dislike for Virendrasingh for multiple reasons, one that he gives up quickly fainting every time and also for his attraction towards Bankanya. I also googled the cast pictures because I was so much in love with the lead character Shikha Swaroop back then and still am. Also, while doing so, I realised one of my favourite actors Late Irfan Khan, had played the role of Badrinath.
I am so glad I read this book.
For more such reviews visit - https://penitratherkeyit.com/
June 24, 2023
I read this mostly for nostalgia's sake. I remember enjoying the TV serial (more than 20 years back, and don't remember anything at all other than a scene of an invisible man leaving behind footprints, and I think it was raining as well - but there's no such scene in the book!).
I was pleasantly surprised that this book, written in the late 19th century, takes a scientific approach, features strong women characters and a treasure filled trapped dungeon! I'd label the book as magical realism though.
The book was written like a play and the author races through the plot. Events that I thought should've taken multiple chapters were done away in just a few paragraphs, sometimes just a sentence or two. Despite such a fast pace, it took me until quarter of the book to get used to the writing and be interested in the plot. There were plenty of twists and turns, and some humor as well.
Overall, I'd recommend the book for those really interested in historical fantasy and willing to push through writing that feels odd compared to the current style.
I was pleasantly surprised that this book, written in the late 19th century, takes a scientific approach, features strong women characters and a treasure filled trapped dungeon! I'd label the book as magical realism though.
The book was written like a play and the author races through the plot. Events that I thought should've taken multiple chapters were done away in just a few paragraphs, sometimes just a sentence or two. Despite such a fast pace, it took me until quarter of the book to get used to the writing and be interested in the plot. There were plenty of twists and turns, and some humor as well.
Overall, I'd recommend the book for those really interested in historical fantasy and willing to push through writing that feels odd compared to the current style.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews