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A Boy’s Destiny | Teaser | Pratidwandi | FOLLOW US & VISIT OUR PAGE, ORDER NOW www.ambujgupta.com. Experience the world of Pratidwandi. Author: Ambuj Gupta, Created by Octopus and Jam, Publisher: Quignog, Background score: Aniran Ghoshal (Adage), Artwork: Souradeep Sinha, Voice over: Aditya

For more info- https://www.ambujgupta.com/world-of-pratidwandi

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Details are where one truly shines as a storyteller. Attention to detail is very important to make a world seem believable. Good space operas are it 2001: The Space Odyssey or Interstellar demonstrate this fact very well. The creators know that the main thrust of the story lies in the emotions and feelings of humans in space as they encounter obstacles, but they still include enough detail – be it about the spacecraft or space itself – to make the events happening seem believable to the audiences.

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This historical fiction showcasing the beauty, bravery and richness of lesser written Indian martial art Kalaripayattu fighting their existential battle against the tyrannical British rule is a gripping tale. The easy flow of narrative style complements beautifully both the vividity and grandiosity of imagination, giving it a magnificently fictional texture.

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It is true that when people opt for reading fiction over non-fiction, they are primarily looking for a good story rather than absolute realism or precision. One then might feel that research is not that important. WRONG! Trust me when I say this – any amount of research is not enough. It will never be enough.

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When I first sat down to write Pratidwandi, the biggest question which came to my mind was – how to make people believe of the things I’m going to be talking about, while they are inside the universe, my universe. There had never been an army of Indian martial artists fighting the British in our history. There had never been exotic hidden sanctuaries in the middle of the forests of Kerala. Vadu clan is a product of my imagination – what if people start googling about the same? Will I then be labelled as a fraud and the entire work be considered a big gimmick? I took a deep breath and realised that I am writing fiction at the end of the day. So, people know what they are signing up for.

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Ambuj Gupta’s Pratidwandi is deep, dark and disturbing but definitely worth a read. This gripping nationalistic saga takes one hurtling through the incredible resistance movement pioneered by the heroic Indian martial arts exponents against the inhuman British in Kerala. Gupta writes like H. Rider Haggard. I read it in one go. Strongly recommended.

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Dharma Yuddha or Just War is a doctrine that defines the philosophy of warfare in ancient India. And weapons formed a key part of this doctrine, weapons which were rich, complex and even considered ‘strange’ by western observers. Ancient Indian weaponry was highly advanced in its time and even today, they can outdo their western counterparts.

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Today, there are as many Indian Martial Arts in existence as there are cultures or languages spread across the subcontinent. From Gatka in Punjab to Silambam in Tamil Nadu, from Paika in Odisha to Mardani Khel in Maharashtra. We have a very rich cultural history of this artform.

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Legend has it that Lord Parashuram reclaimed a part of the sea and gave his people the land which is today called Kerala. He then ventured out to set up 108 Kalaris (training gyms) throughout Kerala and assembled a group of 21 disciples to impart his teachings and train them, making them the very first practitioners of the mother of all martial arts, Kalarippayattu.

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Did you know? Lord Parashuram set up the first 108 Kalaris (training gyms) in India.

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It’s a legend that sage Bodhidharma from India, when he ventured out to the east during the spread of Buddhism, spread the knowledge of Indian Martial Arts in the east.

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The first official proclamation of India as a People was the Revolt of 1857, when the people realized that they were under foreign rule, that they needed to take things into their own hands. It was a statement, a declaration that we, as a people, can get united, and fight.

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The British used the twin tenets of diplomacy and warfare to consolidate power in the subcontinent, a process which laster more than a hundred years. During this time, they vanquished some of the biggest local opponents, be it the nawabs of Bengal in the east or the Sikhs in the north.

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Did you know that the Revolt of 1857 was not the first instance of revolt against the British? And there were many more smaller instances of revolts which preceded 1857?

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Before we attempt to answer this question, we should first ask, “what is a revolution?” There are numerous definitions and interpretations available. But one thing in common: a revolution is an attempt to bring a change.

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The Indian war of independence or struggle for independence, as many would call it, was not the result of a single day’s efforts. We did not magically arrive at the golden date of August 15, 1947, when we finally became free. It was a war or a struggle which lasted more than a hundred years. It was a war which took a huge toll on the people – in terms of lives lost, homes abandoned and wealth foregone.

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What is important is – when that idea or that thought or that experience pops up in your mind or happens in front of you, are you ready? Are you ready to observe, absorb and understand?