Few stories have captured the imagination of an entire subcontinent as the Ramayana has for centuries. Naturally, we listen to, read, and perform the Ramayana on occasions big and small. We know of the Ayodhya Kumar’s righteousness, Hanuman’s devotion, Ravana’s arrogance, Lakshmana’s impetuousness, Dasharatha’s helplessness. We debate their choices, find meaning in their journeys. The characters seem familiar and beloved. Beyond the myths and stories, they represent the eternal truth about the human condition.
But what about the women who stood beside them, shaped their destinies, and paid the price for their decisions? Sita endured exile and fire. Kaikeyi chose between son and husband. Surpanakha faced rejection and mutilation. Mandodari watched her world crumble. Kaushalya wept and waited. Tara’s trials were cruel. Shanta and Ahilya waited lifetimes for recognition.
We know all this, yet the women’s stories seem incomplete. Their inner lives remain a mystery, their motivations reduced to simplistic labels: devoted, scheming, lustful, loyal, humble, evil.
But what if they could speak for themselves? Lost Among the Myths: Her Stories From the Ramayana gives each woman space to tell her story – the choices she made and the consequences thereof. Each speaks of love and loss, power and powerlessness, belonging and longing, dreams deferred, and prices paid.
Author Kalyani Sardesai has spent her career exploring themes of identity, belonging, and womanhood. From working with leading dailies like The Indian Express, DNA, and The Times of India to documenting narratives in adoption rights, cancer rehabilitation, family court cases, and the Deccan Plateau’s history, her work has always circled back to one core question: whose stories get told, and whose get lost?
This book published by Sakaal Publications represents a natural progression in her storytelling journey. After chronicling real women’s struggles in contemporary India –Sardesai turns to mythology to explore the timeless dimensions of these same struggles.
“The concerns sound familiar: How much should a woman sacrifice for family and community? When does duty become imprisonment? Is ambition in a woman justified? What happens when desire upsets collective peace?” says Sardesai. “Any revisitation of the epics is essentially a reiteration of the values of our times. Each of these women characters were a prelude to modern Indian womanhood.”
Instead of dedicating an entire novel to one character, Sardesai has deliberately chosen the genre of short stories to highlight their dilemmas in a way that is immediate and impactful. Interestingly, each woman has been likened to a gemstone, her strengths likened to its properties – “to heighten each one’s individuality, uniqueness and agency.”
Every generation reinterprets these ancient figures through its own lens. In listening to their stories, we hear echoes of our own.
The beautiful cover for the book is by renowned artist and digital creator Chandramohan Kulkarni whose oeuvre consists of many of the many moods and moments of the Ramayana.
