Randamoozham – (The second Turn)

Title:     Randamoozham (Second Turn) , English Version : Bhima-The lone warrior

Author: M T Vasudevan Nair(aka MT).

Language: Malayalam, English (Bhima-Lone Warrior)

Genre:  Mythology, Drama, Fiction

Special features: Sketches which seems loosely drawn yet carefully for each Chapter.

Published in : 1984

Price: 200 Pages:300

ISBN: 81-226-0731-4

 

“O thou story tellers, O thou citizens of Magadha.

Now, we shall sing the lore of the clan of King Kuru. Let us praise Kuru and his son Pratipa.

Let us praise Ganga, who has experienced birth, love, sin and death and who is the divine life-giver emanating from the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu.

 Let us praise the brave son Bheeshma born to Shantanu and Ganga, who by the power of his penance and celibacy has even challenged the Gods.

Let us praise Vichitravirya, born to Shantanu and the fish-smelling Satyavadi.

Also let us praise Dhritarashta and Pandu, who were born through the auspices of Sage Vyasa and conceived by Vichitravirya’s widows.

Also let us praise Vidura, an embodiment of virtue, conceived by the maid with the grace of Vyasa.
Then let us praise Yuddhishtira.
Also let us praise Kuru, born to Samvarana of the Lunar Dynasty and Thapathi, the daughter of the Sun God.
O pals, let us extoll the glories of the Solar and the Lunar Dynasties.”

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 Mahabharata contains an unlimited number of dimensions, though most of them folded up and hidden to a reader, but opens for an analyst. Mahabharata is capable of lending any number of perspectives and revisionism to any person, depending on the angles at which he looks at the text, reflecting the reader to visualize.

As MT says, Ved Vyasa’s Mahabharata had left enough gaps for people to assume the inner emotions of the characters! MT has filled the gap as perfectly as he can in this epic work ‘Randamoozham’.In the work, MT displays his skills in narration and it always finds a place in the top 10 Malayalam novels of all times

Structure /Development

The work is broadly divided into 8 sections, each of which is further divided into various subsections.
Part I: YATHRA: (Journey):
Prologue takes you to a nicely narrated climax, which shows the quality of mind and love of the Bhima towards droupadi.

The first part of the novel is slightly at variance with the rest of it in as much as the story is narrated by a third person, a sort of witness, probably the author himself, as opposed to Bhima who features in the rest of the 7 parts.

Part II : KODUMKATTINTE MARMARAM: (Whistles of an Impending Tornado)

This section shows the distrust and issues between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, right from the childhood as they returned to their palace after Pandu’s death.

Part III: VANAVEEDHIKAL (Paths through the forest):

Here, the Pandavas are enticed to retire to a forest called ‘Varanavata’ with sweet words and promises of the charm of a festival that is scheduled to take place there.

Part IV:AKSHAHRUDAYAM (The heart of the dice)

After returning from forest Pandavas  claim over half the kingdom, but was given a dense forest called Khandava, which by their efforts and able administration was made into a rich city with a good population

Part V: PANCHAVARNAPPOKKAL: (Flower with five colours)

Pandavas along with Draupadi, after losing all the wealth in gambling went to forest and the life in forest and making their vengeance.

Part VI: VIRATA: (The kingdom of Virata)

During this period of secretive exile, all five got employed in Virata‟s court, claiming to have been the servants in Yuddhishtira‟s court.

Part VII: JEERNAVASTRANGAL:(Torn Clothes)
This part deals with  Kurukshetra war fought between the Kaurava and the Pandava brothers.

Part VIII:PAITHRUKAM(Parentage)

After winning the war Pandava’s lose the interest in ruling the country.

Humor/Satire/Characters:

No one is divine or special in Randamoozham. Krishna is portrayed as a prince who was very good at diplomacy, management. He was neither a sari dealer for Droupadi during ‘Vastarakshepa’ or a God.

MT’s Bhima –the protagonist is not just the big fat warrior who eats and fights, who went to pluck flowers for the loved one. He is more than a human with greater quality of mind.

All characters possess human feelings, hatred, anger, happiness, jealousy.

Kunti is the perfect example of women who is cunning and carries an ocean of secrets in her mind, Droupadi is not less than a woman’s magic to make men to fulfill her wishes, jealous and selfish.

Arjuna, the warrior who gets upset when he hears, there exists another great warrior on the other side of the globe.

Yudhistira , the dharma follower is also biased, for his own deeds.

MT attempts to tell real life by avoiding the supernatural stories of Mahabharata as there are lots of additions to the real Jaya (Mahabharata) in years, as the stories flowed from mouth to ears and ears to mouths, just like a Chinese whisper

The author pokes the people who added stories into the real version.

 Critique:

Randammozham is widely appreciated book, for its literary quality and the innovative narration.

Specialty of the book starts right from title. Randamoozham(Second Turn) is pitch perfect as Bhima was the second to share Droupadi and the second one  in kingdom.

Randamoozham is unique as Bheema is portrayed like this elsewhere. The reason why people like this gem is because of a simple reason.

The sketch by Artist Namboothiri which seems to be loosely yet careful in every bit, takes you to the real scene.

‘There is a Bhima in everybody’s self. The one avoided; emotional, yet strong. The one with all the powers yet lived as normal, the one excellent but stood second just for the rules and brother as taught from childhood.’

Never ever anybody told the story of the Mahabharata as simple and emotionally than this.

Randamoozham will completely overturn the images of characters in Mahabharata. It’s one of a kind, a priceless gem.

 

“Let us praise Ganga, who has experienced birth, love, sin and death and who is the divine life-giver emanating from the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu”

  Rating:5/5(Highly Recommended).