PVLF 2025

Interview with Pranab Mullick, Author of “Kanha to Krishna: The Journey to Divinity”

Pranab Mullick, a Supreme Court Advocate and debut novelist, explores Krishna's journey from cowherd to divine avatar in his book, blending mythology with realism.
on Sep 06, 2024

Writing is a hobby for Pranab Mullick, who is otherwise practicing as an Advocate in the Supreme Court of India for the last 28 years. Having written short stories and essays in both English and Bengali, ‘Kanha to Krishna – The road to divinity’ is his debut novel and caps a brilliant academic career. A topper all through school, he received Junior Science Talent and NTSE scholarships and stood second in All India in CBSE Class XII Commerce stream. Thereafter he has been a Gold Medalist from University of Delhi in both B.Com (Hons) and LL.B. As Advocate, he has been involved in several historic litigations.

Pranab hails from a family of writers. His grandfather Dr. Raghunath Mullick was a batchmate of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and an authority on Kalidasa. His father Late Kali Sankar Mullick also authored several compelling short stories and a book of poems on mythological themes.

Frontlist: Your background lies in law, a field far removed from mythology. What sparked your interest in exploring the story of Krishna, and what inspired you to focus on his journey from Kanha to Krishna?

Pranab: I believe that for work life balance, a person must not allow work to dictate his entire life. He needs to cultivate interests, which are different from his work related topics. I am passionate about my legal work, but I have other interests in life including literature, music and sports.

What my background in law has given me is an analytical mind and skill for reasoning. What sparked my interest was a statement in a TV serial that if God visits Earth, he would follow all the rules of nature. When we look at the story of Krishna, we find too many supernatural elements, whether in his birth or in his various leelas. I felt that if God were to take Avatar on Earth, it would be to teach us mortals that we can use our limited human powers with dedication, focus, knowledge and intelligence and thereby achieve results that would appear superhuman. Hence my Krishna would not use any supernatural power or circumstance.

So I took the story of Kanha as a normal cowherd boy who faces caste and colour prejudices, and yet through his eagerness to learn, his dedication, his determination, his courage and intelligence rises not only to kill the tyrant King Kansa but to be universally accepted as the Avatar Sri Krishna, even by higher caste people. The entire process is natural, without the intervention of any supernatural element. In fact, it was a great challenge to normally and rationally explain Krishna’s birth circumstance, his leelas and how he achieved his goal, that too in the context of the geopolitical situation at that time.

Frontlist: Your family has a rich literary heritage. How did your upbringing and background influence your writing style and approach to storytelling?

Pranab: My grandfather was an authority on Kalidasa and in fact Rabindranath Tagore wrote preface to his book ‘Kalidaser golpo’ (Stories from Kalidasa in Bengali). I grew up reading translations of Malavikagnimitram, Kumarsambhavam and the like. Similarly, my father, apart from some great short stories, also authored poems on mythology. So genetically, I was disposed towards literature and the genre of mythology.

A computer and mobile-free Doordarshan-childhood ensured that I read a lot of books. Then every Sunday my father would give me a topic to write an essay on and I would get pocket money on each essay. That certainly helped my writing as well as honed my penchant for research. Finally, my degree in law enabled me to see a matter clearly and to express it either with clarity or to obfuscate it, as the situation demanded.

My style of storytelling is visual storytelling. While reading my book, the reader would see the scenes enacted before their very eyes. Whether it is Kanha’s pranks or Devaki’s ordeals or Chanur’s conspiracies, the reader would be immersed in it.

Frontlist: What aspects of Krishna’s journey from a cowherd to divine avatar did you find most compelling to write about? How did you convey his inner transformation?

Pranab: For me, Krishna’s relationship with Radha was the most compelling aspect. In my book, Radha transforms Krishna’s approach to life. It is she who infuses in him the sense of responsibility. But the most complex part was what happened to that relationship after Krishna killed Kansa. Did Krishna never return to Gokul? Is it believable that a person of his stature would not return to meet the parents who brought him up or his lady love? So what could exactly have happened and how did it end? There are various folktales dealing differently with this. I have dealt with this aspect in my own way in a manner which is very believable and shows how deeply the duo loved each other. In fact many of my readers have actually cried over the ending.

Another aspect I felt compelled to write about was Krishna’s training. In mythology, a young Krishna killed Kansa and thereafter was sent away to study under Rishi Sandipani at Ujjain. Obviously, this is to emphasize Krishna’s supernatural powers. But as I said, my story is a rational step by step development. Hence in my story, Krishna comes to the notice of those who want to unseat the tyrant Kansa, he understands the plight of people, undergoes training, thereafter organizes his forces, infiltrates the city, chooses the time to strike and thereafter fells the tyrant. His life becomes a lesson as to how even a person from a humble background can fight successfully against tyranny and oppression.

My story also deals with the emotional development of the future author of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Questions arise in his mind about the Atman and reincarnation and his rationalizations give a glimpse of the future.

Frontlist: The book delves into political conspiracies and power struggles. How did you research and craft the political landscape of the era?

Pranab: Much of this process flowed from a close reading of Mahabharata and deduction therefrom. To give you an example, a bare reading of the Mahabharata shows that at the time, Bhishma’s Hastinapur and Jarasandha’s Magadh were the two political powerhouses. I delved into the family history of Jarasandha and found that his father was married to two princesses of Kashi. That made Kashi an ally of Magadh. Yet Bhishma had raided Kashi and abducted the three princesses from the swayamvara. Hence there was bound to be enmity between Hastinapur and Magadh. Now the kingdom of Anga which was to the south of Magadh was a protectorate of Hastinapur which is apparent from the fact that Duryodhana subsequently gave the kingdom to his friend Karna. That means that Hastinapur was maintaining allies close to Magadh. Further, Mathura was situated near Hastinapur. Jarasandha’s decision to give his two daughters in marriage to Kansa of Mathura meant that he was also trying to get an ally close to Hastinapur. So, in this manner, the political landscape of the era was researched and set out. Of course, there was liberal help from the internet in areas where I faltered.

Frontlist: As a practicing Advocate, how did you balance your demanding career with your passion for writing?

Pranab: May I say, it was really difficult to find out time. My book took about five years to complete. And I am indebted to my family for tolerating me as my share of family time did decrease substantially. But then when an original idea gets into your head, it does not let you go. So, I was compelled to complete the book.

Frontlist: As Janmashtami approaches, how do you think books about Lord Krishna enhance our understanding of history and culture, and why is this important?

Pranab: Lord Krishna is different from other Gods in the Hindu pantheon as he is considered a part of family. Mothers see him as a son, girls see him as a lover. Devotion towards Lord Krishna spans thousands of years and hundreds of generations. And it is not only family or religion. He is the subject of a very large part of our literature, music, dance, art, sculpture and architecture. He is the proponent of Yoga and wrestling. He is regarded as the Master of Politics. Srimad Bhagavad Gita authored by Him is supreme philosophy. In fact, the word ‘karma’ has now become a household term all over the world. You talk of history, you will come across the very important Bhakti movement which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. There is not a single aspect of our life and culture that is not touched upon by Lord Krishna. He is the essence of Mahabharat and also the essence of Bharat. So if you want to understand India, if you want to understand Indian history, Indian culture, Indian way of life, you must read more and more about Lord Krishna.

My greetings to all on this Janmashtami.

Hare Krishna