Mahanayak: A Novel Based on the Life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by Vishwas Patil - PDF Download
KR: The book is said to be inspired by the life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the leader of the Indian independence movement. But Patil's Mahanayak is not a biography, but is more of a fictionalized retelling of Bose's life as he tried to form his own secret organization, the Indian National Army, after the Japanese took over power in Indonesia and India signed a treaty with them in August 1945.
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Mahanayak is an excellent example of how to retell stories using a biographical format. The book is extremely well researched and the author has provided accurate details about Netajis childhood, his family and its members, his interactions with other leaders of the freedom struggle, the movement in East Asia at the time of the partition of India, and the Japanese surrender. The subject of education was a big one for Bose as he was enrolled in a missionary school in Basrald, a small town in north-eastern India. The book sheds light on how and why he left his school and joined the Indian National Army.
Another essential character is Rohidas Jeevanjee. He was an older cousin of Bose who lived a pious life, he had enormous empathy for the poor and the oppressed and spent most of his life promoting social reforms in India. He had no love for the Congress, especially Gandhi, and later formed the People's Party, which was in many ways similar to the RSS which is being espoused by the ruling BJP today. According to Patil, Mahanayak is his ultimate literary contribution as he was the last of the three writers in the series to be completed. In fact, this was the last novel Patil wrote before his untimely death in 2003. The Mahanayak series is being published now by Navayana as a tribute to the late author.