Bahubali at your nearest book store now!

Bahubali, the new film from Indian Director SS Rajamouli is shattering all existing records and setting a new paradigm of cinematic presentation of Indian-born stories. The Bahubali Universe is established, and the key characters are gradually emerging as icons of modern mythology. To explore these characters, and to expand the world of Mahishmati, the producers of the mega blockbuster tie-up with noted Indian writer Anand Neelakantan to etch on paper a trilogy that will expound the beginnings of the Bahubali world.

The first in the series Bahubali: Before the Beginning, is titled ‘The Rise of Sivagami‘ and it explores the genesis of the strong and the mercurial Queen of Mahishmati. Sivagami has earned a huge fandom by its strong onscreen depiction, and the intrigue of the character seems an interesting plot to indulge in.

Anand Neelakantan is a masterful storyteller and a best-selling author in the historical fiction space. His earlier books, Asura: Tale of the Vanquished (2014), Ajaya: Roll of the Dice (2014) and its sequel Ajaya : Rise of Kali (2015) have been chart toppers from the word go. The latter two are based on the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Earlier in January this year, the book cover was released at Jaipur Literature Festival and the book was released on March 7, 2017. The book is made available in Hindi, English and Telugu. In an interview with The Hindu, Anand explains that “Historical fiction is easy to make believable. Take historical facts and fill in the blank areas which are bound to be there with imagination and you have a great story”

The film Bahubali 2 has received unprecedented response across the globe, it is among the first Indian film to gross Rs. 1000 cr. internationally. It is to be seen if the book will draw an impact similar to the film, and become a motivation for first-time readers, and impart ‘Bahubali‘ a cultural immortality.