Mahishmati Kathakar

The untold stories of Mahishmati by common storytellers, time travelers, and the bards of transient tribes

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 9- 05/22/2019- 05/27/2019. Our Eighth Fic of the Week is  Faisla  by @allegoriesinmediasres

A certain someone decides to pay a visit to Devasena— from the afterlife.

The Reviewers for the Fic of the Week are @parlegee and @bleedinknight

You have full freedom to come up with two solid, independent reviews of the story. You can work with a large overarching theme in the story, thematize it into smaller ideas, or deconstruct it through a political/ideological/creative lens though that would probably not work with every story. If it is a fun, fluffy piece which you don’t think calls for a super serious approach, review it like you would for an entertainment column. Give us three reasons to read this story. And if you have any tips for the author. Tell us what you liked best, your favorite sentence, and what (if anything) did not work in the story.

It would be great if I could have your reviews by Monday, the 27th of May, 7:00 PM EST. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 8- 05/06/2019- 05/12/2019.

Fic of the Week is   When the Stars Mourn by @queenofmahishmati

Review by @avani008

Sharme does it again! As is par for the course, “When the Stars Mourn” is a delightfully spooky exploration of a missing member of Mahishmati’s royal family–Amarendra’s mother, who is nothing more than an afterthought in the movie itself, here gets a chance to interact with her imprisoned daughter-in-law, and Devasena gets a well-needed pep talk from a woman she never expected to meet.

This is all the more apt given the upcoming holiday, but this fic is a poignant exploration of motherhood, and doesn’t flinch away from the fact that Devasena is, as far as we can tell, as much of an orphan as her husband. This missing moment is one of the rare tender interactions we see her experiencing in this part of her life, and it is all the more fascinating for all  the questions it doesn’t answer: how is Mama Baahu able to achieve this? What is the backstory of the conflict between the Goddess and the God that she refers to?

(I know, I know. But I still love the glimmers of worldbuilding we have in our fandom, and this is so intriguing!)

This is a must-read for anyone who loves Devasena or any of the other lesser known and appreciated members of this Baahubali universe, and as beautifully written and constructed as ever!

Review by @mayavanavihariniharini

Mama Baahu, as I feel, is one of the most fascinating and intriguing characters of the Baahubali universe... mainly because we know SO little about her that we are free to expand her character the way we want to. And Sharme's brilliant piece is one of the most outstanding fics on her!

Mama Baahu's interaction with Devasena is something I have always wanted to see in a fic. Sadly, this can exist only in Mama Baahu's afterlife... in canon, at least. Keeping this in mind, @queenofmahishmati, the undoubted queen of angst, weaves a beautiful tale where (the spirit of) Mama Baahu meets Devasena while she is a prisoner.

Ah, that brings me to Devasena in captivity.

Devasena is undoubtedly my favourite character in the Baahubali series... and trust me, this fic just made me respect this iron lady 10 times more than I already did. I love how her resilience shines through, and how this fic answers a lot of questions about why Devasena chose to stay a prisoner in Mahishmati (considering the fact that many of us wonder why she did so... because she was badass enough to kick Bhalla's ass any day of the week).

Mama Baahu shines as the strict yet caring mother who treats Devasena just like a daughter in the brief moments of their interaction, and by the time you finish reading this, you can't help wondering how different things might have been had Baahu hadn't lost his mom.

Favourite line: "The men of this kingdom are either plain dreadful or have the most despicable timings ever possible."

Aaaaaah, this! This line is everything!

Seriously, folks, go read this masterpiece if you haven't yet! It will haunt you forever!

That’s All Folks! Go read the fic and join in the discussion.  

Jai Mahishmati

[mahishmatikathakar]

Author of the Month- May 2019

Our third Author of the Month is @fierarain

We will be talking to her at length to get you a complete story about her life and writing– or as complete as she’d like us to be– by Friday, 05/17/19. If you have questions that you want us to ask her, send us a message.

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 8- 05/06/2019- 05/12/2019. Our Eighth Fic of the Week is   When the Stars Mourn by @queenofmahishmati

A certain someone decides to pay a visit to Devasena— from the afterlife.

The Reviewers for the Fic of the Week are @mayavanavihariniharini and @avani008

You have full freedom to come up with two solid, independent reviews of the story. You can work with a large overarching theme in the story, thematize it into smaller ideas, or deconstruct it through a political/ideological/creative lens though that would probably not work with every story. If it is a fun, fluffy piece which you don’t think calls for a super serious approach, review it like you would for an entertainment column. Give us three reasons to read this story. And if you have any tips for the author. Tell us what you liked best, your favorite sentence, and what (if anything) did not work in the story.

It would be great if I could have your reviews by Saturday, the 11th of May, 7:00 PM EST. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

[mahishmatikathakar]

We Are Back

I know... I know... We took a LONG hiatus. But now we are back. However, before we dive back into reviews and author profiles, I want to know if you guys are still into the Baahubali fandom and want to keep it going. We personally do and would love it if you agree to stay on. @cassandor @mayavanavihariniharini @livinthefandommlife @queenofmahishmati @puppyloveblog24 @allegoriesinmediasres @ratna @iwearplaids @fierarain @parlegee

Please tag anyone I’ve forgotten. 

Depending on your responses, the chosen fic of the week, the reviewers, and the author of the month will be announced tomorrow (Monday night, 9 pm EST)

Love you guys!!!!

[mahishmatikathakar]

Going on a hiatus for Margazhi in Mahishmati, Diwali, and NaNoWriMo

Hey Lovely People,

We understand that writing can be a challenging task and that we have a lot of good stuff coming up with festivals like Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj, and Thanksgiving, national/global writing events like NaNoWriMo and our fandom celebration; the Margazhi in Mahishmati fic exchange. 

We realize that it is not the easiest thing to write fic reviews while working on so many things at the same time. So, we have decided to suspend the ‘Fic of the Week’ for this month (not sure yet about December) so that you can use this time to focus on your family, your personal writing projects, and completing your stories for the MiM. 

However, the author of the month will be announced as usual on the first Monday of the month. Stay tuned for next Monday. 

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 7- 10/22/2018- 10/29/2018. 

 Fic of the Week - An Unlikely Solace by @livinthefandommlife

Review by @avani008

One of the unsolved mysteries of the Baahubali universe is where, exactly, Bhalla’s son Bhadra came from: and while, “adoption” seems to be the joking answer provided, it certainly hasn’t stopped fandom from creating their own possibilities to Bhalla’s wife. There’s no denying it’s a difficult line to walk–how does one balance Bhalla’s canonical obsessions and cruelty with exploring a gentler relationship with his wife? GrimmStormborn’s “An Unlikely Solace” is an inspired look at this quandary, and, interestingly, sketches Queen Arpana and her relationship with her husband from Bhalla’s perspective–during the last minutes of her life. 

Bhalla’s edges are certainly not smoothed over here: he is as selfish and demanding as ever–and yet, there’s the glimmers of sentiment, barely visible, in his final interaction with her. Arpana, too, though frail and seen from afar, shows a fascinating strength in her final request to her husband: a request he will not fulfill, as canon makes all too clear.

But arguably what makes this work so fascinating, is that the author unquestionably refuses to keep from condemning Bhalla, despite writing him in what is technically a shipfic. Dreadful people might be capable of sentiment, but it makes them no less culpable for their crimes–and this original take on him in a romantic relationship is, therefore, one of my favorites of the genre. Definitely worth a read for all those curious yet another glimpse at the mysterious Mrs Bhalla–but also for those who want to read an intriguing character study of Bhalla himself. 

Review by @carminavulcana

A man must find comfort in a woman… in his own if he can, or in another’s if he must.

Bhalla was lucky in the sense he found comfort in Arpana for a time and even in parting, she left him a gift.

I really enjoyed this story because while it was short, it presented a much more complex and rich characterization of Bhallaladeva. While he is obsessed with Devasena in the original movies, he isn’t exactly in love with her. And considering how events actually transpire in the films, it is unlikely that he ever found any sort of solace in Devasena’s captivity. Of course, he found a grim, sadistic satisfaction but not comfort which eluded him despite him having achieved everything he had thought would make him happy.

I am forced to wonder if in the end, his subtle acknowledgement of his wife’s wish was his way of also reflecting back on what he might have been had he not been ruined? Because clearly, in Arpana’s eyes, he, Bhallaladeva had been ruined in some way and she didn’t want the same to happen to her son.

And that raises two other questions.

While Bhalla agreed with his wife’s assessment (and request) in her last moments, he didn’t actually respect her wishes? Or did he?

All we see of Bhadra is his ill-treatment of Devasena because he believes she was unfaithful to his father. Bhadra has no idea of what really happened, of who Baahubali was, and of the sins his own father committed to gain power. In that context, Bhadra’s cruelty towards Devasena is understandable, even if it is not justified according to rules of basic decency.

So, now the question is this. Did Bhalla ruin Bhadra ultimately? Does lying to your son and raising him on a diet of falsehoods spell ruin? Would Bhadra have been different if he had been allowed to live and listen to Katappa’s tale as narrated to Mahendra?

And secondly, when Bhadra’s decapitated head falls into Bhalla’s hands, what is going through his mind?

Is he remembering Arpana’s last wish?

Does he realize he has failed her?

Or does he believe that he followed her advice and it amounted to nothing?

We have no answers to these questions—neither from the films nor this story but at least this story asks these important questions.

While the focus of the author’s words was on Arpana and her final moments, I chose to interpret this as the foundation of Bhalla as a single father and what he made of his son based on that crucial request his wife made of him with the last of her life force.

But none of this really broke my heart as much as the snippets of Arpana’s affection for Bhalla and fact that she’s the only one who manages to touch something inside his otherwise cold and brittle heart—his poems which no one else knows even existed, his drunken rambling that no one else was ever allowed to witness, and the tiny, blink-and-miss softening of his eyes that no one else noticed. Therein lies the tragedy of this story.

Had Arpana lived, maybe Bhallaladeva would have eventually found satisfaction in her rather than the constant abuse of Devasena.

Maybe in Arpana he would have found a measure of peace and allowed Devasena to go free.

Maybe she died because he wasn’t meant to find deliverance in his lifetime.

That’s All Folks! Go read the fic and join in the discussion.  

Jai Mahishmati

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 7- 10/22/2018- 10/29/2018. Our seventh Fic of the Week is An Unlikely Solace by @livinthefandommlife

We all know of the women Bhalla had desired, killed, and caged in his lifetime. But what do we know of the one woman who became an unlikely solace to him?

The Reviewers for the Fic of the Week are @fierarain and @ratnas-musings

You have full freedom to come up with two solid, independent reviews of the story. You can work with a large overarching theme in the story, thematize it into smaller ideas, or deconstruct it through a political/ideological/creative lens though that would probably not work with every story. If it is a fun, fluffy piece which you don’t think calls for a super serious approach, review it like you would for an entertainment column. Give us three reasons to read this story. And if you have any tips for the author. Tell us what you liked best, your favorite sentence, and what (if anything) did not work in the story.

It would be great if I could have your reviews by Saturday, the 27th of October, 7:00 PM EST. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 6- 10/15/2018- 10/22/2018.

Fic of the week- Saciva by @avani008

Review by @witchofmahishmati

First of all, you need to know I’m just going to love everything Avani writes without holding back because she delivers it all with so much surprising detail and exceeds our expectations in each one of them. Just like this story— about Saket and Sivagami, which I swear is a relationship dynamic that never even struck me as important enough until now. And as always, the compelling narrative convinces me that it must have been indeed canon at one point cause it answers most of our questions about Sivagami herself. Especially the ‘why did she react so insensitive at Baahu’s defiance against her?’ We get a wonderful explanation for why everything happened the way it did. More than Baahu’s defiance, more than Devasena’s insolence, more than the fear of losing her beloved son, it was the fear of Baahu’s betrayal that scared Sivagami the most. And what better way to explore it than put a deeply neglected character Saket, front and center, and leave it all to reveal itself. I really loved how Avani provides a motivation for Saket’s betrayal— love. Or being denied of the person he loved to be exact. Which once again plays into the Amarsena equation perfectly. 

But you know what surprises me the most? Her punishment for him. To me, it almost felt even worse than what she dealt out to Amarendra in the hands of Kattapp. And yet, this is Sivagami we are speaking about and it doesn’t come off as a shock any more. She is Bhalla’s mother for a reason, after all. 

Thanks to Avani, Saket gets a well rounded character sketch that we never got a glimpse of in the movies. And remember the flinch he does when the kalakeya leader was talking/insulting them? He might have betrayed mahishmati but his respect for the queen mother, despite the circumstances, was obvious. I love how avani has tapped into this dynamic and has a added such rich detail to this character.

People, go read the story right away. You’re missing out on something incredible if you haven’t read this yet. Just like me who took so long read it!!

Review by @carminavulcana

“Holy Toledo and a half!” was the phrase that came out of my mouth after reading this. I love every one of Avani’s Baahubali fics and this one is no different. In her typical poetic style, she cleverly sets the stage for Saket’s betrayal. And as usual, she does justice to his backstory as the catalyst for one of the most important parts of the Baahubali saga.

The relationship between Sivagami and Saket tells us quite a bit about why Saket ultimately betrayed Mahishmati. He, who was brought in because everyone around Sivagami believed she needed a secretary, a right hand man of the sorts who would ease some of her administrative burden; he who was determined to prove his worth to her; he, who recognized the value of ambition—it is quite understandable that his betrayal was rooted in something far more illogical and incomprehensible than plain, old greed or coercion.

It was rooted in love, ego, scorn, and humiliation—a potent cocktail of emotions that should be hard to tackle in 1,000 words but not for Avani, who weaves her stories on the loom of human psychology and its fickle, transitory nature.

Arguably, some of my favorite parts in the story were certain sentences that utilized metaphors effortlessly.

1.       So she welcomes their preferred candidate, a provincial stripling who appears barely cultured enough to wield a pen, much less have the wit to wage war with it, as one must. 

2.       A fate he does not entirely deserve, perhaps, but she must thank him, after all: he has taught her the dangers of ignoring the first signs of defiance, of allowing vipers to nest in her breast. Once, yes, but no more–after all, she has never needed to learn a lesson twice. 

The second sentence is heavy with undertones of prophecy, mostly, because we all know how Sivagami single-handedly destroyed several innocent lives including her own because of a viper that nested in her breast, a viper she fed from her breast when he was a baby, and one that she didn’t recognize for its venomous nature until it was too late.

However, this story is not about that. This story is about Sivagami’s relationship with one of her vital subordinates. And probably the best (and the worst) part of her is revealed in what she does with him in the end.

Her cruelty truly knows no bounds and Saket (or what will remain of him after the Kalakeya are done “welcoming” the new ambassador from Mahishmati) is going to be a flesh-and-blood testimony to it.

Avani’s stories always make me think, they make me see the Baahubali universe as a real place, perhaps in an alternate universe’s history, and they also force me to acknowledge the discomforting lived experiences of the common people in medieval India. Saciva is no different. If anything, it is more heartbreaking because it is impossible to see how things might have gone down differently without fundamentally changing the personalities and motivations of the principle characters in the story.

And that is also what makes this story so beautiful. It has a ring of reality to it. And reality usually ends in compromises, bad choices, broken promises, and tragic outcomes which could have been prevented but weren’t.

That’s All Folks! Go read the fic and join in the discussion. Stay tuned for Tuesday. The next fic of the week will be revealed on Tuesday because I’m traveling for two days and I forgot to bring the ziplocks with me. Also, we are done with all the reviewers in cycle one so all the names will be added back to the ziplock and cycle two will begin. If you want to be included in any (or all of the ziplocks)– Fic of the week, author of the month, reviewers– please let us know. 

Jai Mahishmati

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 6- 10/15/2018- 10/22/2018. Our sixth Fic of the Week is Saciva by @avani008

The position of secretary to the Queen Mother is a delicate and difficult one, and consequently goes unfilled for many years.

Please read the story and think about it a little so that you can comment on it and add to our discussion of the story. 

The Reviewers for the Fic of the Week are @carminavulcana and @witchofmahishmati

You have full freedom to come up with two solid, independent reviews of the story. You can work with a large overarching theme in the story, thematize it into smaller ideas, or deconstruct it through a political/ideological/creative lens though that would probably not work with every story. If it is a fun, fluffy piece which you don’t think calls for a super serious approach, review it like you would for an entertainment column. Give us three reasons to read this story. And if you have any tips for the author. Tell us what you liked best, your favorite sentence, and what (if anything) did not work in the story.

It would be great if I could have your reviews by Friday, the 19th of October, 7:00 PM EST. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

[margazhiinmahishmati]

Margazhi in Mahishmati 2018 Schedule and FAQ!

It’s that time of year again!

This is the second year we’re running our holiday exchange for the Baahubali fandom, and the third overall exchange, and we would love to have you join us! You can ask for, or receive either fic or art/graphics; not only is it a way to make sure we have plenty of new goodies for the fandom to enjoy, but it is also a fantastic way of making new friends and reconnecting with old ones!

That said, a rough timeline of events this year. Please note that the due date/opening date have changed! 

October 19 - Signups/Submissions of preference lists open

October 26 - Last day to get in those signups!

October 31- (or hopefully earlier!) Writers/artists informed of their matches

December 26 - Fics/artwork due

December 31 - Last day to submit treats/extra fics and art

January 1- All gifts revealed!

FAQ

What do I have to do to participate?

Not much! Either write a 500 word fic or a graphic/gifset of 4 images (or more! Longer fic and artworks are absolutely welcome) that fulfills one of your recipient’s prompts–and, of course, receive one in return!

Do I have to give or receive both fic and art?

Nope, not unless you want to! When you sign up, let us know which you would prefer, both to receive and to create.

Wait, signups?

Yes! Please go up to the “submit a message” link HERE and list 3 characters/pairings/relationships you  would want to receive, along with a short prompt about a scene/setting/AU idea you would like to read about (i.e., “Bhalla, canon era, coronation shenanigans” or “Amarsena, soulmates AU”) with an optional other description of things you particularly enjoy reading or would like to see.

In addition, please list 3 characters/pairings/relationships that you would be able to write or create artwork for. If you truly have no preference, you can also choose “Any.”

I really do not want character death/a modern AU/Kattappa in my fic or artwork. How can I keep that from happening?

Easy! When you submit preferences, also add a section for DNWs, or “Do Not Wants” - things, within reason, that you would prefer not to have included in your gift. For creators, please do your best to accommodate your recipient’s DNWs, within reason.

I’m done with my fic/artwork. Where should I post it?

A collection on AO3 for Margazhi in Mahishmati will soon be opened, and all gifts must be posted there to count towards fulfilling your assigned request. As a side note, as excited as you may be about the gift you are creating (and we are too!), remember to keep your gift secret so as to not spoil the fun for the recipient of your gift!

That is a really long time to write/wait.

It is! But many people have exam/family/work commitments around this time, so the longer you have to write, the better. Moreover, if you finish early, you might find something else that inspires you ;)

When is the deadline?

All gifts must be turned in by December 26, or sooner, that the poor mod can make sure that all participants have something and, if necessary, arrange for alternate accommodations to be made without tearing out her hair.

Can I only write the one fic/make the one piece of artwork?

No! The more fics and artwork that our fandom gets, the better.  If you feel inspired to create multiple works for two or more of your recipient’s requests, that is absolutely wonderful! In the same way, everyone’s requests will be posted on the Tumblr – if you read another request that inspires you to create, or want to give an extra gift to one of your friends, that is perfectly all right! The deadline for these extra gifts, or “treats”, is New Year’s Eve, only so that the collection can open on time.

I have a question not answered here/have a problem with the exchange/just want to have a casual word with the mod.

Send in a message, either to the Margazhi in Mahishmati tumblr, or the mod/ @avani008 ! I’m happy to help, in any way possible!

[mahishmatikathakar]

Dear Kathakars,

This is your opportunity to slide back into your storyteller avatar and come up with new tales to tell. We are super excited about this and we hope you are too. Participate as actively as you can and let’s keep our fandom growing :)

Jai Mahishmati!

[mahishmatikathakar]

Our Second Author of the Month– October 2018– @livinthefandommlife

A lowkey citizen of Bhallalaland. That’s how Anu, a 25-year-old communications executive and our fellow Baahubali fan describes herself.

“I have to admit, before Baahubali: The Beginning, I loved Rana way, way more than Prabhas,” she laughs. “I remember telling my friend, "I wish Rana was playing Baahubali."  And then I caught the two movies and changed my mind of course.”

Since then, she has come a long way. While she still loves Rana to bits, she has also warmed up greatly to Prabhas and like a true fan, she has seen all his movies. From his cheekiness in Rebel to his ruthlessness in Mirchi, she genuinely likes him in all of his avatars.

I adore that man now,” she says. “He seems to have a very sweet, sensitive personality, and I love it. I think I binge-watched all of his movies between and after the 2 Baahubali movies? I genuinely liked most of them. But Amarendra was on a whole other level. He owned the role like no other. Such an effortless charm and maturity. I feel in love with the character the moment he appeared on-screen. Typically, I always fall for the shady ones, but Amarendra seems to be an exception.”

Anu is deeply immersed in the Baahubali fandom and fan culture in general but it might come as a surprise to you that she took a sabbatical of several years from it. She used to write fanfiction and roleplays extensively during her high school years but as the time went by and she got busier with her career, fandom-related activities took a backseat.

However, thanks to Baahubali, that has changed, and she is now also working on a Harry Potter fanfiction. Like most other writers, she reads voraciously, and it would not be inaccurate to call her a bok junkie.

“I have no self-control when it comes to purchasing e-Books on Kindle,” she says. “But other than that, I love movies and television shows. I'm always watching something when I'm free. I don't do any other than that, really. Not a big outdoor-person, I like to stay home.”

However, despite her love for movies, she almost missed the first one. But she saw it in what was probably one of the last screenings in the theatres and fell in love with it. One thing led to another and by the time the second one came out, she was hooked. She looked for fanfictions on AO3, stumbled onto Avani’s fics and as they say, the rest is history.

She has been in the fandom for about a year at this point and the best part for her has been the discussion.

“I remember watching the movie but not having anyone to have a solid discussion with, because while my friends loved it, they weren't as into it as I was,” she says. “So discovering and participating in the fandom discussions (whenever I can) is the best part. Of course, the fanfictions and edits certainly don't hurt either. I love reading happy AUs where Amara lived happily ever after with Devasena.”

Obviously, her OTP is AmarSena and that is amply proven by how much she loves the song Hamsanava because they kissed in it!

“It's very rare that I ship a canon pair, it almost never clicks for me,” she says, echoing the thoughts if many other members of the fandom community. “But there is something so pure and charming about seeing these two characters together. I have not been able to specifically pinpoint it, but I think it's something to do with a feisty Devasena and her counterpart Amara who just lets her BE fiesty? He doesn't expect anything of her. He loves Devasena as she is. I absolutely adore that. That, and the fact that they are a badass couple in general.”

For all of us, even those who did not like the saintly characterization of Amarendra, something feels not quite the same about Mahendra, despite his obvious and glaring imperfections that would ordinarily make him a more interesting character than his father. Most of us are uncharitable to him. Some of us hate him. But not Anu. She sees him quite differently.

“He is a wild, free spirit,” she says. “A little less mature than Amara, but that fit in perfectly with the character. I like him, I love the devotion he has towards Devasena. But my attention almost always goes to Amarendra. I like to think he eventually became as charismatic as his father, a few years after the coronation.”

And that hope is represented in the stories she loves and those that she writes. Avani’s Nidhana, the perfect novel-length fix-it fic is unsurprisingly her favorite story in the fandom.

As for her own, it is A Feast for the Heart, which is also an AU.

“It shows a very awkward, dorky Bhalla, with a side features of AmarSena and little Mahendra.,” she says. “I hope it soothes our ravaged hearts that are still recovering from BB2's deaths!”

Rapid Fire

Mahendra or Amarendra-- Amarendra

Avanthika or Devasena -- Devasena

Sivagami or Devasena-- Dang it! Devasena

Kumara Varma or Katappa-- Kumara Varma

One thing you hate about Amarendra-- He assumes the best of everyone. That's very dangerous.

One thing you hate about Devasena-- It's good to be straightfoward, but she could have been a little more tactful.

One thing that you love about Bhalla-- His ambition and his willingness to reach it.

The typical Gryffindor in the B.B. films-- Devasena

The Hufflepuff-- Er....a tie between Amarendra and Kattappa? I cant choose between the two

The Ravenclaw-- Can I say Amarendra again? Hah.

The Slytherin-- Bhalla

If you could sing a lullaby to one character, which one would it be-- Oh man. Hmm...bhalla. just, sleep through your bad decisions, love

Her top fic

A Feast for the Heart 

As the world around them eats, drinks, fights, and drowns in merriment, two hearts come together in an unlikely circumstance.

Spiffycups’ Review- 

aaaaahhhhh please im crying i loved every bit of this, he is SO precious, and Indhira is EVERYTHING i would die for them, would you please write a sequel some time if you like, because i would love it, and i love you so much because this is so perfect and i want you to be happy and have everything you want because you have given me so much joy today and if you're on tumblr please talk to me @puppyloveblog24 because omg i love you so much this bhalla is all i want , in my head he looks like darcy to indhira's lizzie bennet dude omg you are honestly amazing and this is such a sappy fan letter  i cannot critic or feedback coherently because im smiling too hard rn

Top rec for another author- Nidhana by @avani008 

If you have questions for her , reviews for her stories, or if you simply wish to strike up a conversation with her, don’t hesitate to comment below. Like and reblog, people! 

Jai Mahishmati!!!

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 5- 10/08/2018- 10/15/2018.

Fic of the week- A Day Long Past by @witchofmahishmati

Review by @avani008

Well, I certainly can’t be counted upon to be unbiased in this review–not only because @witchofmahishmati was kind enough to write it for me, but also because Mama Baahu (Mekhala here) is one of the characters who most fascinate me–and Sharme more than does her justice.

Sharme takes a fact from canon–that 26 years before BB2 begins, Mekhala, not Sivagami was Queen and so more likely to have performed the fire ritual–and from that, extrapolates a character study of Mekhala’s steely, resigned personality. In between, we also see flashes of her relationship with her husband Vikramadeva–and hints of his canon fate, even before the story comes to a climax.

But most of all, this story is a beautiful tribute to the interpersonal relationships of Mahishmati’s royal women–not only Sivagami and Mekhala, but also Mekhala’s love and respect for her mother-in-law Amaravati. They are all carefully characterized in just a few sentences, and by all means live up to the canon’s tradition of strong and interesting female characters. Their shared uncertainty of being foreigners is poignant, as is the knowledge that every single woman in this line is eventually destined for tragedy.

All in all, “A Day Long Past” is a simply beautiful look at Baahubali’s backstory, and well worth the read for anyone curious about who Amarendra’s mother might have been, craving well-thought-out worldbuilding, or simply in need of a fic that puts female characters front and center.

Review by @allegoriesinmediasres

Pre-canon fic about Sivagami’s generation is my jam, so this fic was right up my alley! I love that it expanded on something we saw in the movie and incorporated it into the worldbuilding, and we now have a story for every daughter-in-law of Mahishmati doing the firewalk -- Mama Baahu, Sivagami, and Devasena! The flashbacks between the present day and her memories of her husband and Sivagami worked nicely, and added to the tragedy at the end.

 I love the supportive mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship that Mekhala had, it’s nice to see at least some women were able to get along. And also that she and Vikram had a happy marriage -- though of course it had to end in sorrow. It’s typical of Mahishmati to be cruel by asking its pregnant queen to walk 7.5 miles for the sake of the royal health, which seems kind of counterintuitive to me.

 I also appreciated the insights we got into the way Mahishmati treats its queens through Amaravati’s words -- I’m really curious to know more about what her life was like, and how it turned out to be so sadly similar to Sivagami’s. :/ The ending line “Not just to you Rajamatha, Mahishmati is heartless even with the motherless child she nurtured since birth” almost seemed like it could be about Sivagami as well, and oddly foreboding. This fic also gives another explanation to why Amarendra was so worried by Sivagami’s illness after her firewalk, and so glad when she got better!

That’s All Folks! Go read the fic and join in the discussion. Stay tuned for Monday. Additionally, the piece about our author of the month, @livinthefandommlife should be up sometime tomorrow!

Jai Mahishmati

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 5- 10/08/2018- 10/15/2018. Our fourth Fic of the Week is A Day Long Past by @witchofmahishmati

26 years before Amarendra saved Sivagami from the elephant, his Mother walked down the same path. But with none to save her.

Please read the story and think about it a little so that you can comment on it and add to our discussion of the story. 

The Reviewers for the Fic of the Week are @allegoriesinmediasres and @avani008 

You have full freedom to come up with two solid, independent reviews of the story. You can work with a large overarching theme in the story, thematize it into smaller ideas, or deconstruct it through a political/ideological/creative lens though that would probably not work with every story. If it is a fun, fluffy piece which you don’t think calls for a super serious approach, review it like you would for an entertainment column. Give us three reasons to read this story. And if you have any tips for the author. Tell us what you liked best, your favorite sentence, and what (if anything) did not work in the story.

It would be great if I could have your reviews by Friday, the 12th of October, 7:00 PM EST. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 4- 10/01/2018- 10/8/2018.

Fic of the week- Darling, You’re the Sweetest by @iwearplaids

Review by @fierarain

Darling, you’re the sweetest. This story should come with a warning label of “Caution: Do not read on an empty stomach”. Seriously! Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

The theme of this story is food and it’s a beautiful tribute to @iwearplaids’s love for food and her love for IndiraBhalla. The story features baker! Bhalla, a risky decision that pays off very well. The author re-imagines the canonical villain as a soft baker boi and casts the fanon character of Indira as his customer. All this set in a bakery and it is cuteness guaranteed!

The romance is subtle and balanced well with picturesque descriptions of food that will make your mouth water. I kid you not, I was salivating as I read about the rows and rows of cakes and cupcakes and sweets. Indira-Bhalla’s banter is cute, their relationship perfectly put into “She loved tasting desserts as much as he loved baking them” in the author’s own words. Their fondness for each other shines, as well as their fondness for food.

I’m particularly fond of the part where Bhalla (lovingly) gives Indira a new cupcake and is clearly eager for feedback and Indira proceeds to (lovingly) unwrap the cupcake and takes a bite and the author goes on to describe the frosting and filling and chocolate and everything nice that the reader momentarily experiences a food coma and starts craving a cupcake. Good job, there @iwearplaids. It’s not like I’m craving them now or anything…

On that note, I will end the review here and go on a hunt to get myself something delicious…goey and chocolately and sweet *sigh*

Review by @mayavanavihariniharini

(First of all, thanks to Mahishmati Kathakar for giving me this unique opportunity to brush up my reviewing skills. I do try to comment on every fic I read but my comments are mostly a lot of excited squeals, keyboard smashes and oohs and aahs. Let me try to write something more coherent!)

Modern AUs are something I personally find super hard to execute, especially because the proper depiction of the characters in a very different scenario is challenging, indeed. A thousand kudos to Liya for visualising Bhalla as a baker-- yes, you read it right, BHALLA-- and producing such a beautiful fic where he isn't villainous, and yet looks determined and stubborn and egoistic and snarky as ever-- basically the version of Bhalla I imagine in a Bijjuless world!

I love the expert handling of the lead pair, and Liya switches viewpoints with effortless ease (I love the fact that it's JUST the two of them). The chemistry between baker!Bhalla and customer!Indira is simply amazing, and I love how Indira seems determined not to indulge Bhalla with an ego boost... Bhalla needs someone to keep him grounded, after all! :P

Liya's description of the items on display at the bakery is TOTALLY mesmerizing and mouthwatering... you will INEVITABLY feel hungry reading about the cupcake (confessions of a proud foodie there)!

Food and fluff make the most heavenly combo on earth, and Liya's super cute fic 'Darling, you're the sweetest' takes the combo to another level altogether.

Favourite part: She took another bite, and to her surprise, her mouth was filled with warm, melting chocolate. He filled it with melted chocolate. Oh, what would she have done if she hadn’t found this man ?

Liya, you're the sweetest, take a bow!

That’s All Folks! Go read the fic and join in the discussion. Stay tuned for Monday. 

Jai Mahishmati

[stardusted]

nobody speaks indian

maybe you meant

Assamese

Bengali

Bhojpuri

Hindi

Bihari

Kanikkaran

Urdu‎

Oriya

Sindhi

Maithili

Punjabi

Santali

Kannada

Tamil

Telugu

Malayalam

Kashmiri

Ladakhi

Gujarati

Angika

Aariya

Konkani‎

Rajasthani

Sadri

Surajpuri

Sherpa

Sikkimese

Nepali

Lepcha

Limbu

Nimadi

Mishing

Banjari

Bhil

Bhili

Braj Bhasha

Marwari

Mewari

Bhili

Tai Phake

Tani

Turung

Aruvu

Musasa

Badaga

Irula

Saurashtra

Paniya

Tulu

Allar

Aranadan

Thanjavur Marathi

Toda

Bishnupriya

Chakma

Chittagonian

English

Pali

Rangpuri

Rohingya

Sadri

Sylheti

Hajong

Shö

A’Tong

Bawm

Sak

Kukish

Falam

Garo

Haka

Khumi

Koch

Kokborok

Megam

Meitei Manipuri

Mizo

Mru

Pangkhua

Rakhine

Marma

Riang

Tangchangya

Tippera

Usoi

Khasi

Koda

Mundari

Pnar

Santali

War-Jaintia

Kurukh

Sauria Paharia

Arabic

Aka-Bo

Aka-Cari

Aka-Kede

Aka-Kol

Aka-Kora

Akar-Bale

Oko-Juwoi

A-Pucikwar

Aka-Jeru

Aka-Bea

Önge

Jangil

Nancowry

Camorta

Car

Katchal

[dhivyanotdivya]

This is so important.

[ripneji-blog]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!

[official-roti]

Garhwali

[llapingacho-deactivated20150611]

Reblogs this x1000 to try to get rid of cultural ignorance when it comes to this. Because breaking down Indian stereotypes in particular is incredibly important to me for many reasons.

[mahishmatikathakar]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Mahishmati Katha Charcha- Week 4- 10/01/2018- 10/8/2018. Our fourth Fic of the Week is Darling, you’re the sweetest   by @iwearplaids

Modern bakery AU.

Honestly, that's all there is to the fic.

Please read the story and think about it a little so that you can comment on it and add to our discussion of the story. 

The Reviewers for the Fic of the Week are @fierarain and @mayavanavihariniharini

You have full freedom to come up with two solid, independent reviews of the story. You can work with a large overarching theme in the story, thematize it into smaller ideas, or deconstruct it through a political/ideological/creative lens though that would probably not work with every story. If it is a fun, fluffy piece which you don’t think calls for a super serious approach, review it like you would for an entertainment column. Give us three reasons to read this story. And if you have any tips for the author. Tell us what you liked best, your favorite sentence, and what (if anything) did not work in the story.

It would be great if I could have your reviews by Friday, the 5th of October, 7:00 PM EST. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!