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‘Song of Draupadi’ by Ira Mukhoty

A gripping retelling of the Mahabharata from the perspective of Draupadi

Ira Mukhoty’s latest book combines the voices of the women in the Mahabharata, the most intense among them being Draupadi’s. Often regarded as the heroine of the epic, the princess of Panchal has been given an indomitable voice in the epic, which helps flesh out the fiery character that she is. Her unputdownable spirit, interwoven with the voices of other silenced women in the narrative makes Song of Draupadi memorable. 

For the longest time, the Mahabharata has largely been dominated by the voices of the men in the story. In recent years, an increased number of retellings from the perspective of the women have served to shed light on parts of the narrative that were largely ignored thus far. With her powerful writing and evocative imagery, Ira Mukhoty’s latest novel has carved a spot for itself in the famed hall of female-centric retellings of the epic. 

- Upasya Bhowal