Vyjayanthimala as Amrapali in 90’s, Hema malini as her on television, the famous novelist/writer, Anurag Anand brings the present day Amrapali in his upcoming book, The Legend Of Amrapali, a historic fiction.
11th January, Mumbai: The special launch of The Legend of Amrapali was a successful affair for all those intellectuals and historians who always wondered why no one knew who the actual ruler of the state’ Vaishali’ was The book which is a fictional account of the life of the legendary courtesan from the ancient kingdom of Vaishali, Amrapali written by the novelist Anurag Anand as a modern day dialect of The story.
The Book is the story of mayhem and turmoil brought about by the obstinate desires of one man – a man blinded by the intoxication of power. It is a story of sinister plots and political wizardry, of chaste love and unbridled passion, of naked ambitions and dogged loyalties that lead to the transformation of an innocent young girl into one of the most revered, even worshipped, and occasionally feared personalities of her times.
Anurag Anand, the acclaimed author presented his first hand at fiction with one of the most titillating stories in Indian history.
The acclaimed author with 6 books under his belt, and the his last book being the best selling read within 6 months of the launch, His book The Quest for Nothing (2010) was adjudged a National Bestseller within 6 months of its release and was also included in the long-list for the Vodafone Crossword Book Awards 2011.
The story of Amrapali is one of the biggest examples of sex, money, power and politics and an account of a women rising up to the throne of power and overcoming every man’s wrath.
Anurag filled with excitement at his launch event said “I try to keep my work fresh, and keep it interesting and always be able to surprise people with new things. This book reflects the work of historical fiction unlike the other books I have written before. Contrastingly, I attempted to look at Amrapali – the girl, in isolation of her stature, and at once I found myself grappling with a host of unanswered questions. What was Amrapali’s life like before her ascension to the post of the Nagarvadhu? The epithet of Nagarvadhu, though covered, was also a morally depredated one. Had she then taken upon this mantle out of her own free will or was there some carefully crafted machination that led to it?How did a normal girl acquire so much prominence that history chose to accord her a priority over even the ruler of the kingdom from her times in its memory? It is these questions that form the core of my story.â€
The Legend of Amrapali is already touted as one of the to-be- watched titles for 2012.
Present at the event as the guests of Honor were Bhagyashri and Pralahad Kakkar who couldn’t stop raving about the book. Talking about the Book and extending his support for the subject of the book, Prahlad kakkar said,†I have always been fascinated by Amrapali’s character. Anurag’s books have a realistic approach to entice you in the story, you can even relate to the characters or ideas or plots mentioned. I recommend everyone must get their copies of the new book on Legend of Amrapali.â€
Commencing the evening with lots of interesting insights from the author, Bhagyashree also presented her views on the central character of the Book. Speaking after the discussion she said, “I was impressed with the way the women’s perspective is presented; I was very engrossed in the bookâ€.
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About the Author:
Anurag Anand is a Mumbai based banker cum author with five published titles under his belt. Though not as talked about as some of his contemporaries, his works have garnered rave reviews in most reader circles in the past. His book The Quest for Nothing (2010) was adjudged a National Bestseller within 6 months of its release and was also included in the long-list for the Vodafone Crossword Book Awards 2011. He started his writing career at the tender age of 24 when his first title in the self-help genre (Pillars of Success) was published. Since then Anurag has written another self-help book emerging out of his learning’s from the corporate world, aptly titled, Corporate Mantras. Thereafter he shifted his attention to the popular fiction genre, authoring successful titles like Tic Toc – A tale of love, hate & terror, Reality Bites and The Quest for Nothing. His latest book The Legend of Amrapali, slated for release in January 2012 is an enthralling work of historical fiction and is already being touted as one of the to-be-watched titles for 2012
Synopsis about the book:
•         Aryavart (around 500B.C.) was a land of many prosperous kingdoms and among the most prominent of them was Vajji Confederacy-one of the first democratic republics known to mankind.
•         Vaishali,the capital of the confederacy and that of the illustrious lichchavis was not only a centre of commerce and political activity but also the blessed motherland of Amrapali.
•         The legend of Amrapali is the story of mayhem and turmoil brought about by the obstinate desires of one man – a man blinded by the intoxication of power.
•         It is a story of sinister plots and political wizardry, of chaste love and unbridled passion, of naked ambitions and dogged loyalties that lead to the transformation of an innocent young girl into one of the most revered ,even worshipped, and occasionally feared personalities of her times.
•         A gripping cocktail of fantasy,fiction,fable and history that retains its charismatic appeal through the centuries gone by!
