Book Review 99: Mandu: The Romance of Roopmati & Baz Bahadur by Malathi Ramachandran



Malathi Ramachandran's latest, Mandu: The Romance of Roopmati and Baz Bahadur, is an exceptionally well-written book. As is suggested by the title, the book tells the tale of Miyan Bayezid Baz Bahadur Khan was the last Sultan of Malwa Sultanate, who reigned from 1555 to 1562; and the beautiful peasant girl Roopmati. It is, however, not just the tale of love, and romance; it is so much more...

This historical fiction is set in the 16th century India, in the enchanting fortress city of Mandu. The young Sultan Baz Bahadur comes across a beautiful maiden sitting near the banks of River Narmada, with her eyes closed, singing the alaap of Raaga Megh Malhar, the song of the monsoon...
Roopmati, the beautiful and young peasant girl, has a special affinity with music and nature. 
Baz Bahadur has a passion for fine arts. Listening to her magical voice, he is attracted to both the art and the artist. 
He decides to bring Roopmati to his palace in Mandu as his personal musician. 
As days pass by, Baz Bahadur and Roopmati, share their mutual love for music and poetry, and they come closer to each other. Their souls connect at a metaphysical level.
However, the sultan's wife, Hiba and her mother, Jana Begum, are extremely unhappy about Roopmati's intimacy with Baz. Jana Begum plots against Roopmati in order get rid of her.
But, time is not very kind to them either, and their happiness does not last long. The Mughal Emperor Akbar plans to capture Mandu.
Will Baz Bahadur be able to protect Mandu and the woman he loves from the forces of the enemy?
Read the book to know more...

I truly loved reading the book. The story has a fairytale-like quality and is magical. It is beautiful. The author has brilliantly portrayed all the characters. The way each of the characters is developed, especially, the character arc of Hiba, is extraordinary and totally unexpected.
It is very evident that this is a work of extensive research. The author has painted a vivid picture in front of the readers with her words. The descriptive narration captures the true essence of the tale. The readers are transported to a different era, to an enchanting world while reading through the pages of the book. The language is lucid, making the book quite an easy one to read.
Also, the cover of this book looks absolutely gorgeous.

Altogether, Mandu: The Romance of Roopmati & Baz Bahadur by Malathi Ramachandran is a beautiful read. If you enjoy reading historical fictions, and/or romance novels, pick this book up asap! You won't be disappointed.


About the author: Malathi Ramachandran is the author of three novels; this is her fourth. A Masters in Mass Communications, she dabbled with writing middles, features, and travelogues before finding her forte in fiction. Her short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies. Her passion for the history and cultural heritage of the country takes her to little known towns and hamlets where she often finds stories to share. Malathi’s last book in this genre, The Legend of Kuldhara, recreates the story of an abandoned village in the Rajasthan desert and the lives that were changed forever one fateful night.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars.
Publisher: Niyogi Books.
First Published: July 2020.
Pages: 260
Price: ₹395/-

Buy this book from Amazon.

Thanks to the publisher, Niyogi Books, for the review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

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