Epics reloaded in a modern avatar

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Celebrated poet and lyricist Gulzar, who has translated his friend Pawan K. Varma’s book Yudhishtir and Draupadi into Hindi, recently at a poem reading session in the capital said epics are still relevant in today’s life and should not be relegated to the past. “Epics may seem distant from our modern-day lives, but that is not right. After Pawan wrote this episode from the Mahabharata in relevance with people’s lives today, I realised it should reach out to more people,” said Gulzar.
These epics have depths of philosophy, inspiring characters, gripping tales. But there’s a need to repackage and retell them to suit the new age palate, and many writers are doing just that.
A new age demands a new voice, says author Ashok Banker. “These epics are the badge of our Indian identity. It is important to know the stories of our culture and heroes. Today with modern technology it is possible to retell these tales. That is what attracted me to retelling the Ramayana as I felt and in a form and style that is of my time. That is why you’ll find Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and loads of Hinglish mixed into the idiom of my Ramayana Series, while retaining a sense of ancient verisimilitude. I believe it is not just the tale or the myth, but how it is told that matters now,” explains Banker.
Storytelling does not exist in a void. Nor do storytellers. They depend on and provide for the changing tastes and demands of the audience/consumers. Animation filmmaker, writer and artist Gautam Benegal says, “I think a new age and new generations bring newer interpretations and give fresh lease of life to the epics and our folk tales. Eventually even if they become Internet memes, they are also very relevant.”
Dr Beena Thomas, a social scientist, while talking about the need to establish a bridge between the tech-savvy generation and the epics says, “Children today are unaware of the values linked to life. It is the richness of mythology that we look back to and I believe that through mythology we can realise our real roots and make a stronger foundation for our future. Therefore, it makes sense to impart lessons to them in their language.”
Talking about how games come handy to educate the new generation, game developer N. Venkateswarlu says, “History in games teaches the culture and values of our country. The games based on mythology have plenty of action, thrill and entertainment, which draws the younger lot and educates them at the same time.”
Namita Gokhale, whose Mahabharata for young people is simple to read and is an exciting retelling of the great epic, says, “People may have been first exposed to them through grandmothers’ stories, or the local pandal or Ramlila ground, or Amar Chitra Katha and television serials, but the epics, the puranas and folklore have always had a formative role in the collective psyche of this country. So it’s only natural, rather than surprising, that the narration of this mythology is adapting to new times through new media and addressing a new generation.”