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Reading is a great habit, and reading books that interest you is one the best ways to spend your time productively. If you’re someone who’s just out exploring the genre of mythology, you’re on the right path. Mythological stories not only keep you involved and intrigued throughout, but also impart wisdom and knowledge. These gripping novels are usually on the top selling list so decide quicker from this list and get yourself a copy right away. <bulletContentEmbed name="8193305205" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="8193305205_head"> <div type="image" title="Must read" msid="78785121" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>8193305205</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="8193305205_body"><bulletContentRow name="8193305205_1653588978320948"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Immortal Talks</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Fantastic and magnificent, Immortal Talks by Shunya is a beautiful story of immortality, destiny and souls. It revolves around two monks who live in a forest in a tribal area in search of their higher beings and connect with the unknown. This is an enticing book and will keep you engaged completely.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="8193305205_0618763769415682"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">A perfect blend of past, present and future.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="9380658745" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="9380658745_head"> <div type="image" title="Popular Choice" msid="78785158" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>9380658745</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="9380658745_body"><bulletContentRow name="9380658745_9230038341046371"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy): 1</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Shiva trilogy is truly one of the best books to look at when considering this genre of mythology. A grasping and jaw dropping transformation of a mythic world, this book is full of surprises and consternations. It is a wonderfully written book with a simple but intriguing language. It has a good narrative and a very interesting storyline which doesn’t let the reader keep it down even for a second.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="9380658745_5458747249657006"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Surprising and interesting narration of mythological tales of India.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="0143442341" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="0143442341_head"> <div type="image" title="Editor’s pick" msid="78785221" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>0143442341</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="0143442341_body"><bulletContentRow name="0143442341_1385763626841212"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">The Daughter from a Wishing Tree: Unusual Tales about Women in Mythology</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Sudha Murthy has always been known for her beautiful and inspiring works. She has an enormous contribution to Indian as well as international literature. This book is just as creative and worth reading. It puts a light on women and their pivotal role in mythology. It is an empowering journey through the pages of the past, which hold the presence of many influential and powerful ladies who took the world by turn.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="0143442341_9108185284441464"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It is a highly empowering book with astounding language.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="9388754085" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="9388754085_head"> <div type="image" title="Most liked" msid="78786066" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>9388754085</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="9388754085_body"><bulletContentRow name="9388754085_0233084314058922"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (Ram Chandra Series - Book 3)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">One of the most controversial figures in Hindu Mythology is Raavana. This book by Amish Tripathi would push you to rethink and imagine, and develop an insight into the life of Ravana. This book is a fictional work that gives you a glimpse of Ravana’s mind in a most intriguing and enthralling way.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="9388754085_1577535987135026"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It is a highly grasping book and has a superior language.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="9386224046" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="9386224046_head"> <div type="image" title="Must Have" msid="78786103" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>9386224046</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="9386224046_body"><bulletContentRow name="9386224046_5629269384093470"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">7 Secrets of Shiva</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This book by the author with a different outlook, Devdutta Pattnaik, revolves around “the destroyer of the world”. It is a mystical blend of art and history portrayed through simple and engaging words and an elegant language. It explains various conflicts, symbolisms and rituals in Hindu religion.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="9386224046_7423206566748079"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It also puts light on many other practices related to Lord Shiva in Hindu religion.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="9351950123" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="9351950123_head"> <div type="image" title="Must Buy" msid="78785326" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>9351950123</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="9351950123_body"><bulletContentRow name="9351950123_2751812222189148"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">The Gita: For Children</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Bhagwat Gita is one of the most sacred texts of Indian origin. It is considered as a source of entire knowledge, and is believed to have all the answers of past, present and future. Usually children do not get into reading this vast and complex reading. Roopa Pai came up with a beautifully written solution that attracts kids towards this, Gita for children. It has an easy language which kids can easily grasp and understand.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="9351950123_7217794365435339"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It is full of beautiful pictures to keep children engaged.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Mythology books for kids and beginners

<ul><li>The androgynous god is common to many cultures. </li><li>Attitudes towards gender and sexuality have always been flexible and adaptive. </li></ul>In the cacophonic debates swirling around gender, inside our homes and in the courtroom, the biggest casualty is nuance and civility. Hardened positions and acrimonious exchanges have made it easy for prejudice and bias to take over all discussions—worse still, it has led to a blinkered reading of the past by many. Contrary to what many may believe today, attitudes towards gender and sexuality have always been flexible and adaptive. That is why ancient stories talk of gods that are men and women, about men who can turn into women or become transgender and about women who prefer to be men. Gender in the ancient world is a rocky boat sailing on choppy waters. The androgynous god that is common to many cultures is a sign that there is nothing sacred about the binary framework that we now accept as being set in stone. The Egyptian primeval <keyword id="17396034" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="god-hapi" source="Orion">god Hapi</keyword>, for instance, was depicted as a male with long hair and breasts. Hapi is believed to be the god of vegetation and is one of Egypt’s oldest gods. The Greek god Hermaphroditus was counted as one of the winged love-gods who were known as Erotes. The Erotes are a group of winged gods responsible for love and attraction between humans. According to one legend, Hermaphroditus was once a handsome youth who caught the attention of a nymph called Salmacis. She prayed to be united with him forever and the gods merged their two forms into one. Nymphs in Greek myths and legends rule over springs and lakes and Salmacis, it is believed, acquired special powers after her union with Hermaphroditus and as a result the waters of her spring could transform men who bathed in it, into softer and more feminine beings. In India, the concept of an androgynous deity is found in village and folk gods, but is most famously depicted in <keyword id="33379" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shiva" source="Orion">Shiva</keyword> as <keyword id="2512747" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ardhanariswara" source="Orion">Ardhanariswara</keyword>—the god who is half woman. In Siva Purana, the story goes that Brahma is caught in a dilemma. The creatures that he has created are unable to procreate further and so, he appeals to Siva. The hermaphrodite Siva then splits into two to become Siva and Parvati. Even though today, the figure of the Ardhanariswara is seen as a coupling of Shiva and Parvati, in the oldest stories, it is Parvati who emerges from the androgynous form of Shiva. The epics and myths and legends do not prescribe a single-way to look at gender. Instead, they approach the idea through multiple lenses and let the confusion around it flow into the storylines and character portrayals. In the <keyword id="49038" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mahabharata" source="Orion">Mahabharata</keyword>, for instance, the grand patriarch of the epic, Bhishma tells <keyword id="961418" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yudhisthira" source="Orion">Yudhisthira</keyword> a story about a king who transformed into a woman and chose to remain one when he had the choice to return to his old form. King Bhangaswana knew life as both man and woman but preferred to retain his female identity because he said, “In acts of congress, the pleasure that women enjoy is always much greater than what is enjoyed by men...” (The Mahabharata, Book 13, <keyword id="7434802" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="anushasana-parva" source="Orion">Anushasana Parva</keyword>, translated by K M Ganguli) Bhangaswana was not born a woman, instead he was tricked into becoming one when he incurred the wrath of the king of gods, <keyword id="17697" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="indra" source="Orion">Indra</keyword>. For a bit of back story, the king was childless and had sought out Indra’s rival Agni for respite from his condition. He was subsequently blessed with a hundred sons. But Indra was seething and one day, when Bhangaswana was out on a hunting expedition, lured him into the deceptively calm waters of a magical lake in the middle of the forest. The king stepped in as a man, but came out of the waters as a woman and after a series of dramatic encounters with former wives, children and courtiers, exiled herself into the forest. She found shelter in an ashram where she began life anew, with an ascetic as partner, and bore him another 100 sons. But Indra continued to inflict pain on the former king until she finally invoked his name in her prayers. Happy to have a new devotee in his fold, Indra appeared before the woman and offered to restore her identity as a male. Much to Indra’s surprise, she refused, choosing to stay a woman for the rest of her life. The fluidity of identities and the freedom to choose one’s gender is evident in another story that is commonly told in Gujarat about Bahuchara Mata, a goddess worshipped by eunuchs. Bahuchara was married to a prince who refused to spend a night with her. Instead, he would mount his horse and trot off into the jungle every night. One night, Bahuchara followed her husband on a rooster, only to discover that the prince would don women’s clothes and spend the night frolicking in the forest. When confronted, the prince begged her forgiveness and said his parents had forced him into marriage so that he could father children. But he was not interested in women. Bahuchara forgave but on the condition that he and those like him would worship her as their goddess. In the Mahabharata when Arjuna opts to spend his year in exile as Brihannala, the narrative makes it very clear that this is not just a case of a man dressed up in woman’s attire. Arjuna transforms into a woman or a transgender, thereby signaling the diversity of human identity. Similarly, in the Mahabharata again, Amba is reborn as Shikhandi—in this case a woman turning into a transgender as opposed to a male Arjuna—because that is the only way she can avenge the insult inflicted upon her by Bhishma. Since he will not fight a woman, she stops being identified as one. It is not that these stories are to be read literally, but they do tell us that gender is fluid, changing and an important part of individual identity and well-being. It needs to be understood and worked upon, not hammered into a singular monolithic framework. The writer is a co-founder of The Mythology Project, a centre that is focused on the study and preservation of folklore and mythology from around the world.

Nothing queer about it: Androgynous gods across cultures is proof there's nothing sacred about the binary framework

<ul><li><ul><li>Cultural diplomat and author <keyword id="182794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amish-Tripathi" source="Orion">Amish Tripathi</keyword>’s new book <keyword id="14079627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="War-of-Lanka" source="Orion">War of Lanka</keyword> sold six and a half million copies within two weeks of launch. </li><li>War of Lanka also saw India’s first Metaverse launch for a book, where an augmented reality filter was uploaded on Instagram for users. </li><li>India has become wealthier post 1991 and the emergence of ‘real’ India is inspiring films based on myths, says Tripathi. </li></ul> </li></ul>From the time he left his banking job to become a full-time writer in 2011, Amish Tripathi has attempted to give Indian deities human-like attributes through his take on myths. In his books, deities get angry, make human mistakes and even poke fun at each other. Director Shekhar Kapur, who is making a web series on Tripathi’s <keyword id="810431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiva-Trilogy" source="Orion">Shiva trilogy</keyword>, called him ‘India’s literary popstar’. Tripathi’s first trilogy on deity Shiva became the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history. His most recent book ‘War of Lanka’ has already sold six and a half million copies and is currently under reprint. What makes his books popular is not just the content but also his marketing hooks. He roped in marketing agency Think WhyNot to launch an augmented reality filter on Instagram for the ‘War of Lanka’. Custom merchandise or making the first music album in Indian publishing history for ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’ – the third book in his Shiva Trilogy – are some other marketing examples. The author of seven books encapsulating the stories of Ram, Raavan, Sita and Shiva, Tripathi talks to Business Insider India about topics ranging from the importance of myths to the impact of the pandemic on the publishing industry. Currently serving as a cultural diplomat as head of the Nehru Center in London, Tripathi also shares his take on the real India. <keyword id="14491960" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UK-Prime-Minister-Rishi-Sunak" source="Orion">UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak</keyword> invited you to 10 Downing Street, how was the experience? Oh, it was very nice. It was a small get-together in 10 Downing Street, a celebration of Diwali. He had got people from the local Swami Chinmaya Mission to read a prayer. We did a proper lighting of the lamp with traditional rituals. It was also very nice to see so many native White British and other communities in attendance, celebrating a Hindu/Jain/Sikh festival with warmth and happiness. It's been almost a month since War of Lanka has been released. How has the response been? I will be honest. Prior to the launch of the book, I was a little nervous, quite nervous, actually, for various reasons. One, it was a completely new publisher and a new relationship. Secondly, Harper just had a few months post the contract signing to get the book out in the market. To bring the book out in just three-four months is difficult… I thought they did a very good job. Third was the pandemic, which had hit the publishing industry badly, and many bookstores and publishing houses had shut down. Since the distribution itself was shrinking, sales would be difficult. Lastly, since I also have a diplomatic job in the UK, I did not have that much time for the book tour. Normally, my book tour would spread out over three-four months, but now I only had three-four weeks; and I had to cover 14 cities across India in that time. But despite these constraints, War of Lanka is breaking records. It is selling even faster than Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta. And all my previous book sales have also shot up. I can’t thank my readers enough for their consistent love and support. I am curious to know why you haven't written about Hanuman, a Shiva incarnation, especially after having dedicated separate books to Ram, Ravan and Sita? I might take that up actually. Lord Hanuman is a very fascinating character and represents loyalty, having a code and staying true to it, no matter what. That's what makes him worth respecting and worshiping. There is a separate spin-off story in mind that I have for Lord Hanuman. And one I hope to take up after some time. There will also be a story on Guru Vashishta and Guru Vishwamitra and how their relationship turned from friendship to enmity. People say youngsters don’t read as different forms of medium are competing for attention. Why do you think your book has struck a chord with the readers? Is it because of your standout marketing techniques as with a metaverse launch of the book? The metaverse campaign was very innovative, yes. And I am very grateful to Sangram Surve and his Think WhyNot agency for putting this together in association with Meta. Also, I think this assumption that the youth don't read is, frankly, a judgmental approach. The idea that today’s youth have low IQ, low attention spans, and only want to entertain themselves with flaky things is just plain silly. One person can have different tastes. I like thought-provoking movies like Schindler’s List or Inception, but I also like the suspension-of-brains movies of Salman Khan. The youth are like that as well. By the way, a vast majority of my readers are young. Second when it comes to marketing, social media has made word of mouth very powerful. The opinion of critics matters little now as compared to a decade ago. There are movies that are very well marketed that have been super flops. And a movie that had almost minimal marketing spends, like Kantara, was a massive hit. At the heart of it all, it has to be a good product, be it a movie or a book. If it's not a good product, no matter how much marketing you do, it's not going to work. If there is no depth in the movie or the book, if there's nothing to talk about, then word-of-mouth will be poor. A cult book has to be thought-provoking and initiate conversations. I myself tried the AR filters on Instagram and I came out to be on Raavan’s army. It would interest you to know that while many modern Indians think Raavan is Tamilian or Lankan, this may not necessarily match up to ancient texts. When you study ancient texts or folk traditions, it is revealed Raavan was born close to Delhi, a little ahead of Noida. One of the oldest temples of Raavan is situated there. He was not the original ruler of Lanka. The original ruler was Kubaer. Raavan deposed Kubaer and took over Lanka. Will you be venturing into writing about any other epic like Mahabharat? I do have various ideas. Let's see where life takes me. There is a fifth book that will join the Shiva Trilogy and the Ramachandra series called the <keyword id="15501176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rise-of-Meluha" source="Orion">Rise of Meluha</keyword>. But that will be released many years later. Is there a reason why Sita was portrayed as aggressive and militant in your book Sita-Warrior of Mithila? Was this because it has been written from a male perspective? There is a difference between being militant and being strong. Goddess Durga is not militant but she is strong. The image of Goddess Sita in the minds of modern urban Indians is largely inspired from a 1980s television series. In the original Valmiki Ramayana, Sita is portrayed in a much stronger form. And in the Adbhut Ramayan, also credited to Valmiki ji, Sita Maa is the one who kills the elder, more powerful Raavan. In ancient times, Indian women were seen as powerful with their own agency. We had women who ruled large empires like Rani Prabhavatigupta and Rani Rudramadevi. We had women Rishis (roughly the equivalent of Abrahamic prophets and messiahs). We even had women who founded universities. Frankly, our ancestors would be disappointed at how badly we, in modern India, treat women. We have been hearing about the Shiva trilogy for quite some time now. Is it expected soon? These are early days as we just started work on it. So let's see how it comes out. But we'll make announcements in the future. Coming to Indian cinema, there has been a shift in the portrayal of stories. Films are being inspired by myths like in Adipurush, Thank God, Ram Sethu, Ponniyan Selvan. Why do you think there is such a shift? Post 1991 India has become wealthier and the emergence of the real India is inspiring the demand for such stories. There is a real India that was always there, just that they didn't have money to form a big market. That is the India outside of the elite areas of our big cities. This is an India that is very deeply rooted in our ancient traditions and culture. And now, there are many citizens from the real India who have now risen because of economic growth over the last 30 years. A recent IMF report had said over 450 million Indians have been pulled out of poverty just in the last 10 years. And economic growth is creating a new consumer class. Smaller budget movies are making more money than big Hindi film movies because I think in many ways, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil movies are more rooted in the real India. This is something perhaps the Hindi film industry will pick up overtime. A Hindi film producer told me an interesting analysis. He felt that perhaps the Hindi film industry had become too elitist – he used the term ‘focused on Pali Hill, and South Mumbai and also perhaps, London &amp; New York’. He said that we should forget that there is a real India outside of Pali Hill and South Mumbai. And that is the main market for Indian movies. What does real India mean to you? Perhaps those who are more comfortable in Mangalore or Varanasi than in London, I think that's the real India. So, someone like you or me… My family’s roots are in Kashi and I was born in Mumbai; so I know English, Hindi, and some Marathi. But I can go to a Lord Shiva temple in Thrissur, Kerala. And I’ve been there actually, four-five years ago. I don’t understand Malayalam, but my books, by God's grace, do well in Malayalam. There were many out there who recognized me because many of them had read my books. But we couldn’t communicate well with each other because most of them there didn’t know English or Hindi, and I didn’t know Malayalam. And yet, when we started chanting and praying to Lord Shiva, we felt connected. I felt at home. That to me is the real India. Where we feel at home. Now, we may also get along with Western people, but essentially, where is home for us? For me, the real India is home. You began your journey as a writer in 2010. How has the scene of Indian publishing and marketing changed since then? This is the best and worst of times. Earlier the definition of bestseller was selling 5,000 to 10,000 books. Today a bestseller should sell at least 40,000 to 50,000 copies. There are some authors whose books sell in the hundreds of thousands. And few, such as Chetan and me, who are lucky enough for our books to sell in the millions. But on the negative side, GST has really hit the industry. I have myself appealed often to the government if they could give some relief on this, because we are a very tiny industry. Books have a positive impact culturally but in terms of revenue, we are very small. Second, piracy is hurting us a great deal. Many bookstores are suffering hard times as well because rental costs have shot up and piracy has hit them. Books in terms of price to space ratio are not as high as compared to jewelry or mobile phones, so high rental costs often make bookstore unviable. How do you think mythology is relevant in today's society? Indians often confuse myth with mithya or untruth. The Indian word for it would be Itihas or Kavya or Purana. The English word myth comes from the Greek word mythos, which means a story hiding a philosophical truth. I try to explore philosophies that I think are worth learning. Rather than making it a pedantic nonfiction philosophy textbook, if you try and bring it across through a story, you might have a greater chance of having an impact. There are various philosophies from our ancients that are worth learning. There is a line which I love, Ati Sarvatra Varjayet i.e. extremism of any kind should be avoided. But if you see the western approach, it is almost like extremism should be followed, always. For example, in the West, fighting for women’s rights gets translated into hatred for men. How's that good for society? I try to explore many of these philosophies through my books. What are the choices that we make? You will find that cultures which celebrate myths tend to be much more wise and liberal, intuitively liberal. You have celebrated devotees of both Vishnu and Shiva in your books. How do you strike a balance between the two? This so-called competition between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is relatively modern. The Indian way is we are comfortable with multiple truths and we realise that the source is unity. One of the thousand names of Lord Vishnu listed in Vishnu Shahasranaam, which is chanted by many Vaishnavas (devotees of Lord Vishnu) regularly, is Shiva. On the other hand, many Shaivites (devotees of Lord Shiva) know the 1008 names of Lord Shiva that are listed in many of the found in the Shaivite puranas. And one of the names listed for Lord Shiva is Vishnu. So they are One and the Same. This competition is more between unwise devotees and should be avoided.

Raavan was born in Delhi, a little ahead of Noida: Amish Tripathi

Long before computers and the Internet started dominating our life, these handheld compact devices with wafer-thin pages transported people from one world to another in a jiffy. They were highly portable and could accompany you anywhere (<keyword id="51958" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="YES">yes</keyword>, even to the washroom), and came with all kinds of pricing. Those who embraced them underwent a metamorphosis that changed them for the better. And the effect was for life. Yes, we are talking about books here. 
 
Below are the top 10 books that every Indian should read. The list is an eclectic mix of world literature, visionary writing with Indian perspective and a historical yet contemporary chronicle of this country that is waiting to grow in leaps and bounds. But a list is a list after all, and it does not indicate or dictate the order of preference. 
 
<ol>
	<li>
		Things Fall Apart by <keyword id="1105257" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chinua-Achebe">Chinua Achebe</keyword></li>
</ol> Chinua Achebe, who died earlier this year, was a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic. And this book is considered his magnum opus. The path-breaking novel showcases the struggle of the <keyword id="6500558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indigenous">indigenous</keyword> communities against the intervention of external agents. It depicts the life of Okonkwo, a leader and local wrestling champion in Umuofia – one of a fictional group of nine villages in Nigeria, inhabited by the Ibo people during the late 19th century. A novel that truly portrays life at the grassroots. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="2">
		The Old Man and the Sea by <keyword id="823294" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ernest">Ernest</keyword> Hemmingway</li>
</ol>
With the young outnumbering the old in a country that is bursting at the seams, this book makes for excellent reading. This small, palm-sized book is the story of an epic battle between an old, experienced fisherman and a large marlin. This is the story of Santiago, an old, unlucky man, and his young apprentice Manolin. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="3">
		The Autobiography of <keyword id="144869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Malcolm-X">Malcolm X</keyword> by <keyword id="880434" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Alex-Haley">Alex Haley</keyword></li>
</ol>
Racism is raising its ugly head in all countries, including the land of opportunities called America. In this context, the story of Malcolm X, who was assassinated when he was all of 39, tells the life’s events of an extraordinary African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="4">
		Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by <keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword></li>
</ol>
A story of Race and Inheritance by second term American President Barack Obama. Published in 1995 as he was preparing to launch his political career in a campaign for an Illinois office, this book effectively upholds the trials and tribulations of a young man who went on to dream big and realise the dreams of his forefathers. 
 
 
<ol>
	<li value="5">
		The Immortals of Meluha by <keyword id="182794" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Amish-Tripathi">Amish Tripathi</keyword></li>
</ol>
After a brief lull on mythological stories with contemporary perspectives, this book is something fresh and new. This is the story of Shiva (considered the Destroyer), woven to suit the modern palette. Needless to say, the book helped many return to their reading after many years. And set the stage for more such attempts to be made by young corporate writers. None like this one! 
 
<ol>
	<li value="6">
		The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni</li>
</ol>
She is a well-known name among NRI readers since long. After Irawati Karve’s classic study of Draupadi (the female protagonists of Mahabharata) in her book Yuganta (end of an epoch), Palace is another milestone. It is about reimagining the world famous Indian epic, this time told from the point of view of the amazing woman – Draupadi. It is quite relevant from today’s perspective, with a heady mix of history and mythology and rooted in Indian tradition. You will find a totally new interpretation of Panchaali’s life, manipulated by the turns of fate. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="7">
		Malgudi Days by <keyword id="1727179" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="R-K-Narayan">R. K. Narayan</keyword></li>
</ol>
This collection of 19 short stories published in 1943 continues to be the favourite of many owing to its flavoursome language. Set in a tiny village in Southern India, this book is a capturing narrative of the innocence of people against the changing values of the society. When the book was published, <keyword id="187229" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="the-New-York-Times">The New York Times</keyword> said: Everyone in the book seems to have a capacity for responding to the quality of his particular hour. It’s an art we need to study and revive. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="8">
		The Discovery of India by Pandit <keyword id="6360386" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru">Jawaharlal Nehru</keyword></li>
</ol>
Political leaders today come from a different genre altogether and intellectual mastery is not a compulsory parameter of that ecosystem. But this book written by the first Prime Minister of independent India shows the country in a new light. Starting from the Indus Valley Civilisation, it goes on to trace the arrival of the Aryans and finally the rule of the British Empire. India of the past was filled with harmony and peace, but the evils of society slowly corrupted the people. It’s an analytical take, probing deep into the life, culture and philosophy of the country. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="9">
		Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation by <keyword id="44604" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Nandan-Nilekani">Nandan Nilekani</keyword></li>
</ol>
When the corporate guru-turned-bureaucrat, who is spearheading one of the most controversial projects of disbursing a Unique Identification (UID) number to every Indian citizen, shares his insight, you better sit down and listen. In his book, Nilekani elaborates on the ideas that shaped India’s past and present. And like a true visionary, he asks the key question about the future: How will India, as a global power, avoid the mistakes of earlier development models? Read it for a better understanding of the economic success story in the making. 
 
<ol>
	<li value="10">
		The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity by <keyword id="9663" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Amartya-Sen">Amartya Sen</keyword></li>
</ol> This one comes from the most elite of all as economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen reflects on the contemporary India. In this book, he speaks of an immensely diverse country that is standing at the crossroads. In a <keyword id="678332" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Subtle">subtle</keyword> manner, the book celebrates India’s cultural achievements, success of democracy, secular politics and attempts to remove cultural and gender inequalities while pursuing peaceful existence within its sub-continent.

10 Books Every Indian Should Read

It's a nostalgic journey, a reunion with an old friend, and a validation of the hours spent immersed in movie marathons or comic books. The familiar quirks, iconic lines, and signature actions of our beloved characters evoke a sense of comfort and excitement. Cinematic universes—a phenomenon that has already taken Hollywood by storm—is the latest trend built on this sense of loyalty among fans. And it is gaining momentum across the world, including India. In a <keyword id="20747860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cinematic-Universe" source="keywords">cinematic universe</keyword>, multiple storylines and narratives share the same world and the films connect through recurring characters and common themes. This approach has opened new doors for storytelling in <keyword id="20060213" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Cinema" source="keywords">Indian cinema</keyword>, allowing for richer narratives and deeper character exploration. Indian cinema has a long history of diverse storytelling, and is now embracing this new trend that resonate with audiences across generations. But are Indian filmmakers fully harnessing the potential of cinematic universes? Let’s find out. <h2>What’s a cinematic universe?</h2>A cinematic universe allows for expansive storytelling, where characters can evolve across multiple films, and plotlines can interweave to create a grand narrative arc. There’s no better example that the <keyword id="19985514" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Marvel-Cinematic-Universe" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Marvel Cinematic Universe" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Marvel Cinematic Universe">Marvel Cinematic Universe</keyword> (<keyword id="20189664" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MCU" source="keywords">MCU</keyword>), where each major hero got their own or co-starred movies, before all the Avengers reuniting in Avengers: Endgame (2019). The build-up to this 2019 blockbuster was hugely successful, with the earliest storyline of Iron Man dating back to 2008. It was followed by the 23 movies including the Thor trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America films, Black Panther, Spider-man, Doctor Strange etc. The anticipation built over years of interconnected films repeatedly drew audiences back to theatres, creating a loyal fan base and a secure investment for filmmakers. The MCU, despite the recent setbacks, continues to be one of the most successful film series. Avengers has the best average world-wide gross out of all MCU film series, with an average of nearly $1.9 billion per film. Hence, the appeal of cinematic universes lies in their ability to build complex worlds that draw audiences back time and again, creating a sense of anticipation for how stories will unfold and interconnect. It brings a sense of security to the investments of the makers, which is built from scratch for stand-alone films. <h2>Cinematic Universes of India</h2><div type="image" title="Rohit Shetty&amp;#39;s Cop Universe" agency="Business Insider India" msid="112529301" hostid="261" sizebytes="166204"></div>The earliest Indian film that is now a part of a cinematic universe was Rohit Shetty’s Singham (2011). This Ajay Devgn film was a remake of a 2010 Tamil film of the same name, with Suriya reprising the eponymous character. A more coherent (albeit unplanned) cinematic universe starter was the 2012 film, Ek Tha Tiger. Neither of these two films was planned to be developed into a universe per se but were incorporated into their respective universes with Simmba (2019) and Pathaan (2023). <div type="image" title="YRF Spy Universe" agency="Business Insider India" msid="112529258" hostid="261" sizebytes="194140"></div> The latest entrants on the block are <keyword id="14242250" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lokesh-Cinematic-Universe" source="Orion">Lokesh Cinematic Universe</keyword> (LCU) and Maddock’s Supernatural Universe. The Lokesh Cinematic Universe started with Kaithi (2019) and established itself with Vikram (2022). Lokesh Kanagaraj, the creator of this universe and the director of these highly successful ventures, plans to release a short film 'Pillayar Suzhi' as an introduction to the cinematic universe for the audience. <div type="image" title="Lokesh Cinematic Universe" agency="Business Insider India" msid="112529201" hostid="261" sizebytes="111722" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Lokesh Cinematic Universe&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;redactor-invisible-space&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Maddock’s supernatural universe, alongside LCU, provides a clearer picture of their plans ahead. All of the films in this shared universe are inspired by popular folk-legends. While Stree took inspiration from Naale Baa of Karnataka, where people would write the phrase on walls to prevent the entry of a malevolent spirit into their homes. Bhediya was inspired by Arunachal Pradesh's legend of a shape-shifting werewolf (Yapum), who wants to protect the jungle, even if he or she has to kill somebody. Munjya, which surprised the trade pundits and audiences alike, focuses on the Konkani legend of munjya. In mythology and folklore, there are multiple stories about the origin of munjya, but the film uses the one where a small kid dies within 10 days of his upanayana samskara, and turns into a munjya. <div type="image" title="Maddock Supernatural Universe" agency="Business Insider India" msid="112529182" hostid="261" sizebytes="173806" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Maddock Supernatural Universe&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>The fourth instalment in this series, <keyword id="6847240" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Stree-2" source="Orion">Stree 2</keyword> is set to release this week, starring Rajkummar Rao, <keyword id="89958" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shraddha-Kapoor" source="Orion">Shraddha Kapoor</keyword>, Rajkumar Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. Varun Dhawan will also make a cameo appearance reprising his role of Bhaskar from Bhediya. <h2>Can Indian Cinema sustain this trend?</h2>Unlike the MCU which is based on existing comic books, the majority of these Indian projects and characters have no reference point and hence, concepts have to be established from scratch. Moreover, it is possible that the audiences may not readily embrace new and unfamiliar characters. Another significant hurdle is the high cost associated with these ventures. A good chunk of their budgets goes into VFX and the subsequent creation of intellectual properties or IPs. When news around Brahmastra’s humongous budget of 410 crores was doing the rounds, Ranbir Kapoor was quick to clarify that it was allocated for the entire trilogy, and not just for Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva. Cinematic Universes in India face an additional barrier of independent distributors, where the trajectory of a franchise is lopsidedly dependent on the success of the studio’s latest offerings. For instance, there were reports of Tiger Vs Pathaan being shelved, following the lukewarm reception of Tiger 3. <h2>Can Indian cinema witness a commercially successful cinematic universe?</h2>Cinematic universes can flourish in India as they have in Hollywood, only if they are treated as long-term investments to be made over multiple movies and decades. It is regrettable that a nation with such a rich literary and cultural history barely has any good films rooted in its culture. There is immense potential for stories rooted in regional Indian folklore and literature, and it continues to remain underutilised. However, it is important to note that Maddock’s Supernatural Universe is a promising start towards bringing to the audience stories that are grounded in our country’s culture. However, the movies in this universe have been a roller coaster journey for the audience in terms of quality. As Stree 2 prepares for release, there is hope that it will continue to build on this success and pave the way for more culturally grounded cinematic universes in India. While the concept of cinematic universes is still relatively new in Indian cinema, it holds great promise. If nurtured with patience and passion, these universes could become great assets for the industry, offering audiences compelling narratives, and the studios substantial returns.

Beyond Stree 2: Exploring the potential of Indian Cinematic Universes

Modern management as we know it today thrives on an assumption: that it is objective and rational. Of course, cutting edge thinkers know that it is not so. But that management is objective and rational remains a dominant perception. Subjectivity plays a key role in management. And subjectivity is influenced strongly by culture. The way we see the world is conditioned by the culture we have been most exposed to since childhood. 
 
A child brought up in Denmark, for example, all his life, has a very different understanding of life, compared to a child brought up in India, Internet notwithstanding. There will be many things in common, but there will also be many differences. How much focus do we pay to subjectivity relative to objectivity, irrationality relative to rationality, in management thought? People are divided on this. 
 We have been conditioned to look upon subjectivity and irrationality as wrong, even evil, the source of problems and the source of chaos. Yet, it remains a factor impacting business and can be a lever that can change the way we conduct business and solve problems we face today. In Denmark, one is exposed to an <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> of 5 million people, 80% of the same ethnicity. In India, one is exposed to an economy of 1200 million people, where less than 40% speak the same language, and the remaining 60% speak 15 languages, and there is great diversity along economic, political, linguistic, educational, religious and caste lines. 
 
Management principles that will emerge from, and will be applicable to, Denmark may not work as well in India. This seems pretty obvious, but many people challenge this. Such reaction reaffirms the idea that different people see the world differently: the world is not a rational, logical, objective space, where there is one truth. There are many truths. But some truths are more favoured and more dominant than others, and even positioned as THE truth. 
 
Belief is an assumption based on how many data points we are exposed to, and how we join these data points: the more the dots, the more complex the pattern. The more the experience, the more ways we know to join the dots. And so belief keeps expanding. Like a business plan which changes when assumption changes, our understanding of business and management changes dramatically when our belief changes, or rather expands. Notions of business and management as we know it today comes primarily from the USA and Europe. 
 
These are shaped by western cultures. Historically, today’s management is influenced by principles of the roman Army, Jesuit Missionaries, and Industrial engineering of the 19th century – all western. It is not objective at all. It does not take worldviews of China and India into consideration to say the least. It assumes itself as rational, independent of cultural thinking. And that is its greatest shortcoming. 
 
Mathematics and statistics may be universal languages, but the way we read the results varies with the cultural gaze embedded in the leadership. This understanding is critical in the new ‘postinternet’ world order where everything is mingling and merging and we are realizing that all things western are not necessarily modern, or complete, or suitable for all contexts. It is important to re-evaluate our gaze. It is important to expand our mind, join more dots. 
 
Sun Tzu and The Art of War became popular in the 1980s because of the success of Japanese corporations and it gave management thinkers all over the world exposure to Chinese thought (Sun Tzu was not from Japan). Since India became a hub of outsourcing and a potential market for many in Europe and America, people have been wondering about Indian thought. Hence the proliferation of books on Chanakya and Bhagavad Gita. 
 
Chanakya appeals to the rationalist and Bhagavad Gita appeals to the philosopher. But neither takes into consideration the vast body of knowledge embedded in the stories, symbols and rituals of India. Neither takes into consideration Lakshmi, the restless but delightful goddess of wealth, the most popular Goddess in India (not just amongst Hindus). Perhaps this has something to do with 19th century disdain for all things ‘myth’ and an obsession for rationality and scientific thinking. 
 
Of course, today social scientists know that ‘myth’ is essentially a cultural point of view that expresses itself through stories, symbols and rituals: every society has its own myth. There is no culture that has no myth. Western thought is also a myth that shapes the modern world; it is neither rational nor real. The mythology of modern management is rooted in the belief that ‘all that is measurable can be managed’. It lends itself (wrongly) to the secondary assumption that ‘all that is not measurable does not exist’. A good scientist is acutely aware of this. But how many good scientists are out there? Most scientists of the world do come from cultures that value monotheism (one god, one truth) over polytheism (many gods, many truths). Even atheism is presented along monotheistic lines where rationality is argued as a god. 
 Emotions cannot be measured, imagination cannot be measured, but these play a critical role in policy making and business decisions. We cannot be indifferent to them simply because they defy both measurement and rationality. This measurement-celebrating western myth has resulted in placing more values on processes (measurable) than people (not so measurable). We rely more on institutions than on individuals. This has its roots in Biblical myth (one half of western myth) where the tribe or church is more important than the individual member. We are constantly seeking to institutionalize <keyword id="6357934" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Steve-Jobs">Steve Jobs</keyword> of Apple and <keyword id="6354630" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mark-Zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword> of <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>. 
 
Ironically, these two gentlemen are embedded in the Greek myth (the other half of western myth) where glory comes from doing something extraordinary that challenges the status quo. They broke the prevalent assumptions of communication. They were what the Greeks called hero, men who changed the rules of the game, like Alexander, who was then invited by the gods to the special heaven called Elysium. 
 
Western management myth subscribes to the Biblical and Greek mythologies that are similar to each other in that they value only one truth. They are also at odds with each other: the one focuses on the collective and the other focuses on the individual. Please note: Biblical mythology does not mean the Christian Bible, it refers to a vast body of thought that emerged from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and Levantine, where great value is placed on central authority. 
 
Social scientists have used this individual/collective framework to explain cultural phenomenon all over the world not realizing this framework is western, not global. Different cultures have different frameworks they operate from. This is especially true in china and India. China values relationships and India values contexts. Neither china nor India thinks in terms of tribe/ church/institutions, although words like clan and caste do give the impression that they do. 
 
Hence guanxi (special relationships) are so critical in Chinese business. In Confucian china that dominated the court culture, the focus is the relationship between one and the other, not one and the many. This is a critical difference. The Chinese does not think China, he thinks ‘boss’ or ‘subordinate’. The boss embodies China, until he is overthrown by someone more noble and worthy. People often equate Chinese with ants. Incidentally, the institutional model is also about ants. 
 
In the Chinese worldview, the pecking order of ants matter. In the institutional worldview, the anthill matters more than the ants. India values neither ants nor anthill. Great value is given to impermanence (think Buddha). Nothing is fixed, except maybe gender and caste that are determined at birth. Everything else, even family structures are continuously changing. So the individual is continuously trying to figure out his relationship with the other in every context. Caste relationships, and village relationships, are more reliable than relationship with the government or someone far away. 
 
In the realm of impermanent structures, there is no fixed institution (as in the West) or boss (as in China); everything is changing and so one has to figure out at each interaction that status of the other, hence oneself. This creates a lot of ambiguity that exasperates people who do business in India. A simple tool to understand different cultures is to study the dominant mythology of the land: the stories, symbols and rituals that are favoured by a society. 
 Unlike psychoanalytical ‘archetype’ models that seek the common and the universal, the approach needs to be more structural – seeking differences. This reveals why the <keyword id="6362609" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Manager">manager</keyword> from Denmark is so different from the manager from India even though both are educated in the same B-schools and have gone through the same induction and training programmes. The difference is not just because of personality (individual) or the culture (collective) or institution (collective), but also because of relationships and context: the Danish manager will be very different in a roomful of Danes as compared to a roomful of Indians and vice versa. 
 
Biblical mythology celebrates rule-following prophets (Moses) and kings (Solomon), while Greek mythology celebrates rule-defying heroes (Odysseus, Theseus, Jason, Hercules). Indian mythology has both rule-following Ram and rule-breaking Krishna, both of whom, are not two different characters but the same character, Vishnu, in two different contexts: he follows rules as Ram in Treta Yuga and breaks rules of Krishna in Dvapara Yuga. 
 Then there is Shiva who is indifferent to all rules and who beheads Daksha who seeks to impose rules on others, for Shiva is more interested in the intention beyond the rules, beyond the processes, beyond the institution. In chasing the institutional model of modern management, we do not question its intention. It is structurally designed to celebrate greed: growth in profit quarter after quarter to satisfy the shareholder. Yes, we keep speaking of stakeholders, but the only action favouring stakeholders seems to be more rules: regulations protecting <keyword id="6356826" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="environment">environment</keyword>, or workers and rules compelling the rich to be more charitable. 
 The reliance is once again on processes than people. The assumption is that the world can only be made a <keyword id="808955" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="better-place">better place</keyword> through commandments. The assumption is that democratically-generated policies are bound to be fair, just and good. The assumption is the Board of directors are good or can be forced to be good through intervention of regulators and independent directors and other watchdogs. Modern management conversations rarely speak of people, or rather it leans disproportionately towards processes. 
 When there are conversations about people, they tend to focus on what they have (think <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>) or what they do (think <keyword id="71133" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Warren-Buffet">Warren Buffet</keyword>), but never know who they are. More often than not, the assumption is if you are a successful <keyword id="6359301" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Entrepreneur">entrepreneur</keyword> and have created an institution of enviable market capitalization, you must be a smart leader who inspires people (think <keyword id="28113" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narayan-Murthy">Narayan Murthy</keyword>). Who a person is cannot be reliably measured. Personality tests, designed using western methodologies, map people in a vacuum and do not take contexts and relationships into consideration. They map people as ‘archetypes’ in a fixed ‘template’, or as ‘pegs’ in a fixed set of ‘holes’. 
 
They do not consider relationships as in relational databases (who is in the cell above and below). They do not consider personality that keeps changing according to desha (geography), kala (history) and patra (roles), which define a yuga (context). Thus we grapple with incomplete patterns. 
 It is time to increase the dots and find more ways of joining the dots. It is time to look beyond known constellations to the billions of galaxies out there. It is time to also consider the very <keyword id="2827667" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="indian-approach">Indian approach</keyword> to management.

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