RJ Niladri had a chat with Devdutt Pattanaik, a mythologist from Mumbai, India. He is also known to be a speaker, illustrator and author on Hindu sacred lore, legends, folklore, fables and parables.
Devdutt’s work is mostly centred on religion, mythology and management. His most well-known books are ‘Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology’, ‘Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata’, and ‘Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana’ and ‘My Gita’.
He has authored books on the importance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in current times. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana have been used by Pattanaik in human resource management. Pattanaik writes columns for Mid-Day, Times of India, CN Traveller, Daily O and Scroll.in.
For 14 years, Pattanaik worked in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. In his leisure time, he wrote mythology-related articles and books, which he later turned into his full-time job. In 1997, his debut book ‘Shiva: An Introduction’ was released. Most of Pattanaik’s books are illustrated by him.
Pattanaik has worked with the Star TV network on mythological TV shows including ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Siya Ke Ram’, which have questioned accepted interpretations of the stories and provided fresh perspectives.
RJ Niladri had a conversation with author, Devdutt Pattanaik about his work and so much more! Check it out below!
—Silviya.Y