Anand Neelakantan is renowned as one of India's top-selling authors, credited with over 15 books. He wears multiple hats as a columnist, screenwriter, and public speaker. Known for his expertise in mythological fiction, he has authored fourteen books in English and one in Malayalam. He is recognized for his unique storytelling approach, often narrating tales from the perspective of antagonists or supporting characters. His debut work,Asura: Tale of the Vanquished (2012), reimagines the Indian epic Ramayana from the viewpoint of Ravana, kicking off his Ramayana series. He has expanded his repertoire to include characters from the Mahabharata and Baahubali series. Moreover, Anand has made significant contributions to television, scripting for popular Hindi serials such as Siya Ke Ram, Mahabali Hanuman, and Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, among others. His columns in The New Indian Express, notably "Acute Angle," have garnered widespread acclaim since 2017. Recognitions: Amazon Books editors featuredAsura in their list of "100 books by Indian authors to read in a lifetime. " Three of his books have been shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award. In 2015 and 2017, Forbes India listed him among the "100 top celebrities in India. " In January 2024, Jaico Books published his debut non-fiction book,The Asura Way. Early Life > Born in Thripoonithura, Kerala, Anand Neelakantan is an alumnus of Government Engineering College, Trichur. He transitioned from a career at the Indian Oil Corporation to pursue writing full-time, displaying his talent not only in literature but also in cartooning ... See more
Anand Neelakantan is renowned as one of India's top-selling authors, credited with over 15 books. He wears multiple hats as a columnist, screenwriter, and public speaker. Known for his expertise in mythological fiction, he has authored fourteen books in English and one in Malayalam. He is recognized for his unique storytelling approach, often narrating tales from the perspective of antagonists or supporting characters. His debut work,Asura: Tale of the Vanquished (2012), reimagines the Indian epic Ramayana from the viewpoint of Ravana, kicking off his Ramayana series. He has expanded his repertoire to include characters from the Mahabharata and Baahubali series. Moreover, Anand has made significant contributions to television, scripting for popular Hindi serials such as Siya Ke Ram, Mahabali Hanuman, and Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, among others. His columns in The New Indian Express, notably "Acute Angle," have garnered widespread acclaim since 2017. Recognitions: Amazon Books editors featuredAsura in their list of "100 books by Indian authors to read in a lifetime. " Three of his books have been shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award. In 2015 and 2017, Forbes India listed him among the "100 top celebrities in India. " In January 2024, Jaico Books published his debut non-fiction book,The Asura Way. Early Life > Born in Thripoonithura, Kerala, Anand Neelakantan is an alumnus of Government Engineering College, Trichur. He transitioned from a career at the Indian Oil Corporation to pursue writing full-time, displaying his talent not only in literature but also in cartooning for Malayalam magazines. He is married to Aparna Anand, and they have two children: Ananya Anand and Abhinav Anand. Career Highlights > In 2012, his debut novelAsura: Tale of the Vanquished was published by Leadstart Publishing, quickly ascending to bestseller status. Subsequent works likeAjaya: Roll of the Dice and the Bahubali prequel trilogy continued to captivate audiences. His contributions extend to children's literature with titles likeThe Very Extremely Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids andMahi-The Elephant Who Flew Over the Blue Mountains, as well as non-mythological works. List of Works > Novels:Ramayana based: Asura: Tale of the Vanquished (2012) Bhoomija: Sita (2017) Shanta: The Story of Rama's Sister (2017) Ravana's Sister: Meenakshi (2018) Vanara: The Legend of Baali, Sugreeva and Tara (2018) Pennramayanam (Malayalam) (2019) Valmiki's Women (2021) Mahabharata based: Ajaya: Roll of the Dice (2013) Ajaya: Rise of Kali (2015) Nala Damyanti: An Eternal Tale from the Mahabharata (2023)-Penguin books. Bahubali series: The Rise of Sivagami (2017) Chaturanga (2020) Queen of Mahishmathi (2020) Children's books: The Very Extremely Most Naughty Asura tales for Kids (Puffin Books) (2020) The Tale of the Naughty Flying Mountains (Puffin) (2023) Mahi-The Elephant Who Flew Over the Blue Mountains (Harper Collins) (2023) Non-fiction book:The Asura Way, The Contrarian Path to Success (Jaico Books) (2024)Television: Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat (Colors TV) Siya Ke Ram (Star Plus) Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman (Sony TV) Adaalat 2 (Sony TV) Sarfarosh - Battle of Saragarhi (Netflix) "Swaraaj" (DD National) "Taj: Divided by Blood" (Zee 5) "Shrimad Ramayan"-(Sony TV)- January 2024 Accolades > Best Historical Series- Indian Television Awards 2023- 'Swaraj' in DD National written by Anand Neelakantan Best original Story- Indian Television Awards 2023- Nominated- Taj, divided by Blood- Anand Neelakantan' Kalinga International Literary Award, 2017, Kalinga Literary Festival Anand Neelakantan's literary journey is a testament to his versatility and creative prowess, spanning across genres and mediums, enriching readers and viewers alike.