Jai Shukla is an IAF veteran and has served across the country, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the forests of North East. After voluntarily leaving the Air Force, he built a career in banking and international finance in India and the UK. He also has a degree in world history and is the undisputed champion of historical trivia at any gathering. Post retirement, he joined a political party and supports several parliamentarians as a speech writer. He and his wife shuttle between their hometown Kanpur and Mumbai to spend time with their two children. He has recently come out with the book Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala, which is a mythological fiction.

I chat with the author about his book Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala, his inspiration for writing the book, book recommendations, and much more.

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself!

I am someone who has lived a rich (not moneywise) and varied life seeing many ups and downs. At this stage, I can reflect back on my experiences and tell about them to my readers, and they mostly connect with it. I am an IAF veteran, a retired banker, a doomed politician, a modern agriculturist and also a published author.

How would you describe your book Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala in one sentence?

The book is about a woman who committed no sin, no crime and no fault but was adjudged ‘guilty’ without a fair trial by the predominantly patriarchal society, aptly represented in the male scribbled literature.

Now tell us a little more about the book! What can readers expect?

For a knower of the Ram Katha, Kaikeyi enters the narrative when prince Ram was about to get coronated as a crown prince. Nothing much has been written about her parents, her early life and her education. My Kaikeyi bridges that gap. The book traces the journey of Kaikeyi from a beautiful precocious child to a studious and diligent princess excelling in both shastras and shaastras, and then to the queen of Koshala and a great warrior who fought and won a battle against the demons. Unlike other women of her time, she controlled her own destiny and was abused and maligned for doing so.

What inspired you to write this book?

We – my wife and I – are avowed readers, and our daughter is one step ahead of us. We routinely discuss about books, writers, and the characters. This idea of Kaikeyi as a protagonist of my book came from my wife. My daughter who is a great supporter and ruthless critic of my work added immense value to the project.

What was your research process like for this book?

Writing a book based on mythology requires plenty of research. There are too many versions of each story created during the last three thousand years. Also, there is inconsistency among the eighteen Puranas, other sub-Puranas and various epics. I studied all that and much more. Some modern-day writers are writing their own versions of the immortal stories. It’s better to know and understand their views as well.

What has the road to becoming a published author been like for you?

Writing a book is easier than getting it published. If you are lucky, you get someone like Mr. Suhail Mathur and the TBB to support you. A trackless, directionless journey suddenly becomes a cakewalk if you have a capable and caring literary agent like Mr. Mathur.

How have you been coping with the current pandemic and what will be the new normal for you post it?

I am a retired person and mostly stay in my village. Lockdowns and curfews don’t make much difference to me. I have an agriculture farm with vegetable fields, fruit laden trees and flower beds to give me company. Of course, I miss my regular visits to Mumbai where I lived with my daughter and annual trips to Barcelona to meet my son.

Lastly, are you currently reading anything, and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

I am currently reading Sri Devnarayan Katha: An Oral Narrative of Marwar (Rajasthan) compiled and edited by Mr. Aditya Malik. May be one day I will write a book on Lord Devnarayan, a widely venerated deity of Rajasthan.

Every reader has her/his own choice. Anyone interested in mythology must read the original works like Mahabharat, Ramayan and Srimad Bhagavat instead of later versions and retellings. My all-time favourite books are Sri Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. For anyone knowing Hindi, I recommend that they must read Tulsi’s Ramayan, not as a religious scripture but as the greatest piece of literature ever written anywhere in the world. It has been translated in all the major Indian and foreign languages; non-Hindi knowers may opt for the language of their choice.

The book ‘Kaikeyi: The Warrior Queen of Koshala’ is available online and at your nearest bookstore.