Heroines out of the shadows

Books on Draupadi and on Sita are common sightings at the few bookstores that still survive

HEROINES

Ira Mukhoty

Aleph

211 pages; Rs 499

There has been a spate of feminist retellings of myths and epics in recent times. Books on Draupadi, on Karna’s wife, on Sita and even her sisters are common sightings at the few bookstores that still survive. This is a welcome development, if not always a fulfilling one. The new books force a gust of fresh air into the old stories and expand their scope by giving voice to the female characters who, although important to the narrative, were relegated to the shadows by earlier writers and commentators.

The problem is that not all