Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews two interconnected books, by the same author, on the same subject - 'Tiruvannamalai Beckons' and 'A Month In Tiruvannamalai'.
He critiques the writing style as well as the content and delves into the lore of the mystic mountain of Tiruvannamalai, in this well-penned piece.
In this review of Kantara, Rohan Raghav Sharma tackles the allegations that the film depicts women in a poor light by analysing the actions of the key characters as well as scenes that may be interpreted as such.
"Stories ranging from the Warrior princess Chitraganda who fights alongside Arjuna to the bold princess Ulupi who approaches Arjuna for the union of her own accord to Queen Subhadra who finds a different way of carrying out her dharma and supporting her husband than the conventional way one expects a wife to. Characters etched in the minds of popular imagination such as Satyavati, Shakuntala, and the duo Nala-Damayanti are also presented in a narrative that cannot fail to entertain and arouse interest. The most metaphysical and philosophical stories are undoubtedly those of Gargi, the Brahmavadini, and Maitreyi, the scholarly wife of the famed Yajnavalkya. These stories prove that while there were women steeped in the Shastric worldview, they were not purposely debarred from aspiring towards education and a spiritual path."
In this review of 'Aryaa - An Anthology of Vedic Women' Rohan Raghav Sharma discusses the need for such a book before delving into each of the ten stories told in the book. He gives detailed insights into each story along with his critique of the writing styles of the different writers.
Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews Aditi Banerjee's book titled: "The Curse of Gandhari"; and takes us on a journey through the plot, while analysing the construction of the narrative alongwith his understanding of the author's thoughts and approach.
In this review of Dr. Vikram Sampath's book titled: "Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past, 1883–1924"; Rohan Raghav Sharma analyses and opines on Dr. Sampath's presentation of Savarkar's story, his approach towards Savarkar's sentencing and suffering; interspersed with the correct historical context.
Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews Dr. Makarand Paranjape's book titled: "JNU - Nationalism and India's Uncivil War"; while analysing the happenings in JNU that led to the events detailed in the book. He also questions Dr. Paranjape's optimism and suggestions for handling the university moving forward.