This is the week of Krishna! Few days back I read and reviewed the very interesting and unique travel memoir by Lalitha Balasubramanian, 'On the Krishna Trail'. So, when it was the time to pick up my next one, I decided to choose 'From Kanha to Krishna: The Journey to Divinity' by Pranab Mullick. Kind of my own Krishna Trail in books.
A lawyer by proffession, Pranab has put loads of reading and experience into the book and it shows. Cover is interesting, with two facets of Krishna, one at a young age and one when he became the mastermind Krishna that we know him as. There is often a discourse about how could a mischief like Kanha become such resourceful and mysterious, yet mastermind Krishna and this book helps bridge in the gap. What happens in the life of Krishna that helps him take this journey.
Interesting choice of cover, right there. Marked with the tone of divinity and the two stages that the book talks about. The title is interesting as well. So, definitely accolades to the author for both.
Since the time Amish Tripathi started a never seen before trend of mythological fictions, there have been many interesting and riveting titles that have come up on the Indian books scene and its very fascinating to find what all different authors have to write and portray. Some time back I read Kaikeyi which narrated the story of Kaikeyi and this one talks about Krishna.
Author has invested a lot of time and energy in development of few very interesting characters, the character of Chanur comes the most to fore front. Depicting the entire build up of how Kansa became the demonic king, how the prophecy of his sister Devaki's eighth son being his demise came to happen, how Kanha became the lovable and charming boy of Nandgaon, how Radha came to his life, how he never saw Radha again in his life and so on.
Pranab has tried to keep the book as realistic as possible. The story of Krishna is marked with divitnity, mysticism, magic but Pranab has translated each and every event to reality. Sometimes he has went into details of how these events played out, while some times he just gives out a hint and leaves it there to readers's imagination. Kudos to writer for his imagination and translation of such acts into reality.
The war on Kansa's palace is a long scene, and plays it out perfectly like a well thought of war scene. The entire scene is interesting, and well laid out and keeps you on your toes. A lot is happening in this scene and never does it confuse you and keeps you engaged.
On the flip side, the greatest strength of the book is also its biggest weakness. In an attempt to strip Krishna of any kind of divinity or mysticism and just to portray him as a regular person(its a re-imagination of Krishna) and even gives him kind of a sad ending. But this attempt also makes the central characters of Krishna and Kansa as weak. Both are narrated as pieces in the game of a chessboard which are strong but then, are being played by someone else. Krishna still takes a few key decisions towards the end but Kansa is completely being managed behind the scene. This robs the book off some sheen because in the end Krishna and Kans are the reason people know this story of, not Chanur or Akrur.
But barring these little pieces, overall the book is a very engaging read. Its a page turner and you cannot keep the book without completely reading the journey that Kanha took to become Krishna. The overall atmosphere of Mathura and the times have been described very tastefully and lingers in the mind of the reader long after he is done with the book.
Overall I would give this book a 4/5.
You can purchase the book here
https://www.amazon.in/Kanha-Krishna-Divinity-Pranab-Mullick-ebook/dp/B07M65C55L/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kanha+to+krishna&qid=1628434456&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
