Devdutt Pattanaik on his new Krishna audiobook and the need to see him from different perspectives

Devdutt Pattanaik on his new Krishna audiobook and the need to see him from different perspectives

Aug 4, 2022 - 21:30
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Devdutt Pattanaik on his new Krishna audiobook and the need to see him from different perspectives

After delving into Mahabharata and Shiv Purana through audiobooks on Audible, celebrated mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik is ready with his next original, Krishna 360 Degree, for the leading audio streaming platform.

Through his new 12-episode show, Pattanaik dives deep into Krishna’s story and looks at him from varied perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of his times, milieu, lineage, actions, multi-faceted personality, and contributions in shaping some of the greatest events of Hindu mythology.

The Audible original traces Krishna’s story from the circumstances that led to his birth, to his fabled childhood, growing years, and the diverse and indispensable roles that he played in his momentous life. By using Krishna as its lens, the audiobook aims to provide a deep insight into Hindu philosophy.

In this exclusive interview, Pattanaik discusses why Krishna continues to be so relevant even today, what he found the most challenging about working on this audiobook, how he manages to be so prolific, and if audiobooks can pose a threat to physical books.

In the podcast, you talk about how Krishna is probably the most relatable of all Hindu deities. What do you think makes him so?

You see, he is all about dealing with a political world where the mighty do not care for the meek. He himself is a cowherd. So being from a different community, he sees how most people who are rich and powerful, do not help people. Through his own experiences, he depicts how they're not charitable and how they find excuses not to repay their debt to society, much like how things are today.

Krishna is also one of the few Hindu gods whose childhood self is as popular as his grown, adult person. What do you think is the reason behind this?

To depict the Purna Avatar, the authors were imagining how god would behave when he has to deal with parents and friends. He knows that he’s all-powerful. Yet he enabled his devotees to experience parenthood and friendship. This is the reason.

Natya Shastra plays an important role in the bhakti and abhivyakti of Krishna. Why is it such an integral part of his storytelling?

A story can be told through words, dance and song. Through expressions and theatre, the story develops its own life. Therefore, Natya Shastra is an integral part of storytelling, especially those of Krishna. It becomes a story performed.

Krishna’s life is very well documented, with several versions popular in various cultures. How did you decide which stories to choose for Krishna 360 Degree?

Krishna's life is well documented. But people tend to focus on certain aspects of his life that make them comfortable. It depends on which part they wish to relate to. It could be his childhood or his romantic dalliances, or it could be Krishna reciting the Bhagavad Gita. However, most people rarely weave all of them together. We need to see them as part of the same whole lens in 360 degrees. When I say 360 degrees, I am referring to the pradkarshana. Remember, you must go around the data in every direction. Primarily, to see how the same thing appears differently from different points of view.

Any interesting detail about Krishna that you stumbled upon while researching for this show?

Yes, it is how Krishna finds different expressions in different parts of India. In most South Indian temples, he stands alone without Radha. While in the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu temples, in Bengal and the Gangetic plain, Radha is present.

What was the most difficult about performing the text for this audiobook?

Audiobooks have a unique challenge. I have had to modulate my voice to suit the cadence of the words. I also must admit that one can’t speak for more than 30 or 40 minutes a day. In order to get the feel of the sound and the rhythm, I have taken the help of a lot of voice artists and sound engineers. This in itself has been a great learning experience. This is how I utilized my extra time, with great pleasure and satisfaction, for the better part of the COVID lockdowns.

You write books in English, columns for Hindi newspapers, you have TV shows, a series on Amazon Prime Video, and now an audiobook. How is telling stories in each of these mediums been different for you? Which medium do you find the most exciting?

I prefer all forms of storytelling. For different publishers, I employ different styles. I write for children, adults, and business people. The manner in which I communicate stories depends on the story, too. I can use audio, video, textual, or illustrated media to communicate stories and meaning. I like every medium, even though each one comes with its own challenges.

The market for audiobooks is rapidly growing. Do you see it as a threat to the market for book readers?

I think listening to audio is very popular among the people who travel on the same routes daily. It is also used by people who love to be on the move, like those who take morning walks. They love to do two things at the same time.

Reading has a very different audience. Reading a book is usually done alone. You need to sit down and enjoy reading. Readers are people who do not want to do two things simultaneously. They wish to sit down and relax.

One must admit that books provide more details, something an audio medium does not allow. For instance, visuals can be put in a book. An audio medium cannot provide a map or a table or a symbol. But audio recitation allows one to intonate and communicate emotions much better than the written word.

What are your expectations from Krishna 360 Degree?

With Krishna 360 available on Audible, I expect people to realize that even Krishna could not stop the war in Mahabharata and what is the lesson in this for us.

When not reading books or watching films, Sneha Bengani writes about them. She tweets at @benganiwrites.

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