Amish Tripathi is an Indian author, popular for writing mythological fiction who was a banker before, having completed his education from IIM Kolkata. He quit a highly financially stable job after the success of his first book, ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ , a part of the shiva trilogy.He has always been passionate about mythology, philosophy and theology and finally found a way to showcase it with his debut novel in 2010. He was Listed among Top-50 Most Powerful People by India Today (2019).
What makes him so powerful?
Amish Tripathi has built a universe that already existed but humanized it in a way that makes Indian mythology easier to understand and more entertaining to consume. In 2010, Tripathi’s debut novel, ‘The Immortals of Meluha,’ was published. This book marked the beginning of his immensely famous ‘Shiva Trilogy’, a series that reconceptualised the celestial figure of Lord Shiva. The trilogy gained global acclaim for its fresh narrative style, close to life mythology, and action. The success of ‘The Shiva Trilogy’ propelled the author to fame, wealth and hence made him one of the most powerful authors in India.
Tripathi is among the fastest selling authors in the country and is primarily famous for his ‘Shiva Trilogy’ and ‘The Ramchandra Series’. He has sold almost seven million copies since 2010 and his work has been translated in twenty different languages.
The Shiva Trilogy
The start of this exceptionally successful series happened with ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ followed by the ‘The secret of the nagas’ and finally ‘The oath of the vayuputras’.
In the first book we see Lord Shiva traveling to an ancient land called Meluha , which is under a very severe crisis. The land is drying up, there is no food for the people and everyday there are people dying of some “curse”. The arrival of Lord Shiva comes as a ray of hope to the people of Meluha. It then becomes his journey to fight the evil and restore peace in the land. After the success of the first book in 2010, fans were eagerly waiting for the sequels and didn’t know what to expect.
The second book got released in august 2011, when the first book was still topping the bestseller lists, all over the country. ‘The Secret of the Nagas’ , focused more on the ostracized community of the Ngas, a serpent-like race. He continued to unravel the mystery behind the community and brought about equality in the land. The third book was called ‘The oath of the Vayuputras’ which delved deeper into the universe of lord Shiva and this is where he comes face to face with the ultimate nemesis. The evil who has been threatening to destroy the world and Lord shiva and his alliances have an action packed sequence. This final installment got released in february 2013 , thus marking the end of the series. Some people were disappointed with the last book as it did not live up to their expectations but a lot of them loved it too.
Throughout the novels, we see immense character development of Lord Shiva into the neelkanth, the chosen one.
The Ramchandra Series
Amish Tripathi had planned a lot more for the readers than just the Shiva Universe. He went on to reimagine and write about the epic tale of Ramayana. The series consisted of four books , each of which left an impact on the reader. The first book in the series was “The Scion of Ikshvaku”.
This book introduces readers to the realm of Ayodhya and the illustrious Ikshvaku dynasty, setting the scene. The novel explores Lord Ram’s childhood, early years, and the obstacles he encounters on his quest for morality and self-awareness. With its rich political intrigue, multifaceted characters, and modern relevance, Tripathi’s story gives the well-loved story a fresh new perspective. The book earned the Crossword Book’s “Best Popular Award” and was critically acclaimed.
In May 2017, the second book was released, ‘Sita: warrior of Mithila’ which reimagined the story of Sita and made her a powerful, warrior protagonist. With great action and adventure, this book did wonders on the bestselling lists, worldwide. It gave people an opportunity to view Sita as a strong female character with courage and determination.
This was followed by the third book in the series which was called ‘ Raavan, the enemy of Aryavarta’. This book talked about the backstory of Raavan. He rose up to become a formidable antagonist but the reasons were discussed in this book. Tripathi talked about the gray personality Raavan had and distinguished his complex understanding of good and evil. The author spent time building both the characters and released a completely new novel ‘ War of Lanka’ to show the confrontation and the epic battle of lanka between Lord Ram and Raavan.
Other Works
Later on he released some stand-alone novels like ‘Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India,’ which was his first historical novel and the first book in the Indic Chronicles.The protagonist, King Suheldev was instrumental in protecting India from foreign invaders. Tripathi’s skill at research backed storyline brings King Suheldev’s bravery and sacrifices, as well as the volatile times he lived through, to life.
Another stand alone, departing from mythological fiction was “Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life,” which delved into the importance of dharma and its implications on modern life.
Amish Tripathi has proven to be an exceptionally talented and skillful writer when it comes to both fiction and non-fiction books. His works have been critically acclaimed and made Indian Mythology popular worldwide. He has a knack for making the characters so relatable that you almost forget you are reading about a God/Goddess.This narration style and fast paced dramatic writing is what appeases the readers. Amish has built this universe with a lot of research and hardwork and it shows. He has been awarded multiple awards and they highlight his ability to connect with the audience and his remarkable contributions to Indian literature. His work is so impactful that it transcends story-telling and paves way for Indian heritage and history in the most beautiful way possible.
Amish Tripathi, is renowned for his mythological fiction that seamlessly blends ancient Indian mythology with a contemporary narrative style. His “Shiva Trilogy” and “Ram Chandra Series” have captivated readers, offering a fresh perspective on legendary characters. Tripathi’s storytelling skill and exploration of philosophical themes make his books not just entertaining but also thought-provoking, contributing significantly to the modern Indian literary scene.