5 reviews for Rau The Great Story Of Bajirao Mastani
You must be logged in to post a review.
Rau The Great Story Of Bajirao Mastani
by N S Inamdar
Description:
The novel that inspired the award-winning film ‘My eyes, they rain all the time My eyes, they rain all the time Till I see him in mine’ When Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa, feared by even the mighty Mughals, hears the exquisite Mastani sing, the passion that sparks between them grows quickly into a raging fire. The Peshwa defies his orthodox Brahmin heritage, declaring his love openly for the half-Muslim dancer, in the face of fierce opposition. A man way ahead of his time, Bajirao causes outrage when he marries Mastani, bringing her into his home as his second wife. N. S. Inamdar’s timeless tale, that has inspired both film and television, brings alive the romance, intrigue and valour of the eighteenth-century Maratha empire. This irresistible novel is one of India’s favourite love stories.
About The Author
He was born in a village in Satara district of Maharashtra, India. Inamdar rose from humble beginnings to establish himself as one of India’s best novelists. He is also credited with earning recognition for Marathi literature in a country dominated linguistically by Hindi.
He wrote sixteen historical novels. The following is a partial list of them:
Jhep
Raau
Jhunja
Rajeshri
Shikasta
Shahenshah
Mantravegala
He also wrote his autobiography in three volumes.
He presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Ahmednagar in 1997.
Skryf Review
“Amazing Reading”
Angaan
The book is about the struggle of a twelve year Suzy, who is determined to prove that her best friend Franny wasn’t drowned but must have been stung by a deadly jellyfish. As Franny was an excellent swimmer. By the start of her seventh grade starts her quest to prove that the jellyfish are the reason for the loss of Franny from their lives. But Suzy has turned into the person she never was, she has become insanely quiet from the person that she was. This has every person around her worried as they are unable to make Suzy speak her mind like she always used to. The book describes all the research that Suzy does when she stumbles upon an article on a fish tank about how numbers of people are killed every year when stung by a jellyfish during a Science visit to an aquarium. That’s when Suzy decides that she will tell everyone what killed Franny through her Science paper presentation for seventh grade. The book has so much to offer apart from the beautiful story that Ali Benjamin woven, the story about how middle school changes everything for someone like Suzy who loses her best friend Franny way before she drowned while on a vacation. This book is about discovering the meaning of care and love when you have no hope left in yourself. It’s about how your family is always there to support you no matter what stupid decision you take to prove something you are determined about. This book is about the beautiful journey of Suzy in the middle school when she has no hopes and no friends and the transformation that happens further. Ali Benjamin has done a fabulous job in writing this book, so well researched about such a different topic like jellyfish. This book kept me engrossed till the end in every part of it. Frankly, I was never even bothered to read about jellyfishes and their various species, Thanks to the author now that even I am engrossed to know more and more about jellyfishes just like Suzy.
Pooja
If ‘Bajirao Mastani,’ the movie, was all about forbidden and failed love with two star crossed lovers acting out their well curated dialogues, N.S. Inamdar’s ‘Rau’ (the 1972 Marathi book on which Bhansali’s historical romance is loosely based) is more about how a warrior fights for his country, all the while trying to keep a different sort of a fight out of his domestic life. The grandeur of the big screen lacks in the black and white pages of the book but it’s the story itself that successfully creates a splendid treat for the book lovers.Inamdar’s Rau is a much detailed version of the life and time of Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa. The Maratha ruler’s administration finds more focus in the book that his romance with his second wife Mastani. He is a willful and valiant soldier but at the same time he comes across as an affectionate individual. His character is flawed and there is nothing larger than life about him. Although he is quick tempered, he fights for what he believes in. He is equally passionate for his empire and the people that make up his life.The novel also provides an insight into the Indian society during the 18th century. Credited with expanding the Maratha Empire, especially in the north, he was fabled to have never lost a single battle in his brief military career of 20 years. Allegedly, possibly the finest cavalry general ever produced by India. We see the orthodox Hindu Brahmin society of that time that did not object to the Peshwa’s having a concubine in addition to a wife but didn’t offer any acceptance to his marrying her on basis of her caste. Bajirao’s brother Chimnaji Appa and their mother, Radhabai, also never accepted Mastani as one of their own. Many attempts were made to take her life, presumably by Chimnaji Appa; she survived with the help of Chhatrapati Shahu. It goes on to show the workings of the society and its narrow-mindedness.This being a translation, not much can be gleaned about the writing style of the author. What I can say is that Vikrant Pande as a translator has done a good job. Nothing seems to have been lost in translation. The story has all the ingredients that make for a good reading experience. There is romance, history, politics, kings, and warriors. What can go wrong with these combinations? I’d recommend it to all those who enjoy historical romance.
Tisha
The life story of Bajirao Peshwa is a chance to get an insight about the internal feelings of a King, which he is not allowed to express. The King who looks after the entire kingdom, wins so many wars for the betterment of the Maratha empire was being thrown away by his own people including his Mother and wife because he fell in love with a non brahmin, moreover a non hindu lady who was just a dancer.The book tells us how Bajirao Peshwa, the person who shock the Delhi sultanate, the perosn who never saw defeat in war, was captured by the beauty of this Lady called Mastani and he lost to his family people and his subordinates. Eventually it happened so that he died because of illness and that too far away from Shaniwarwada (King’s Palace) because he did not want to enter the Palace where no one respects him anymore. This is an example of how in Medieval India the cultural ethics were so strong that even King could not escape from it. On one hand people were so happy with Bajirao Peshwa for being the only Maratha ruler to extend the Maratha empire to almost entire India including Delhi and on the other hand same poeple were hating him for being in relation with a dancer. Ultimately the King who gives shelter to all the poor and needy people died without a shelter.
Shrawan
This book struck a chord on several counts. First and foremost, the amazing amount of detail in the book. The book “shows” rather than “tells” and it succeeds in painting a vivid picture of the places and palaces that the events of this book primarily occur in. Second, the story itself is so powerful, the characters so well-developed, and the conflicts and dilemmas built up so masterfully that they set a dramatic stage for events in the lives of the main characters.At the heart of it, this story is just a simple love story. It is complicated by the fact that Bajirao was a high-ranking officer, and his paramour, Mastani, an ordinary courtesan/ artist. Another small complication, Bajirao was already married. Small, because the book tells us that it was not uncommon for princes and officers to have multiple love interests at the time. Indeed Bajirao’s father had sired a child from such an affair. However, the conflict perhaps escalated the way it did because Bajirao was very successful, was of a high-caste (a Brahman) and lived in very conservative times. That, and the fact that he wanted to give Mastani and her children the same stature as that of his married wife and children. the confines of their environment and times. Bajirao is painted as a flawed figure for his time despite his stellar achievements, but when he says that people enjoyed all the good that came from his actions but none gave him the latitude to lead his life as per his wishes, you totally understand the great tragedy that befell this great Maratha warrior.The books does great justice to characters who oppose the unfolding of the love story as well. You understand their pain and point of view within