Bhima
Bhima then book written by MT Vasudevan Nair is Mahabharata told from the perspective of bhima the second brother.
Beginning
Bhima opens with the Pandavas in the middle of their journey to Mount Meru. When Draupadi has just fallen but none of the Pandava brother seem to care. Not the son of Dharma, Yudhishthira nor the Arjuna whom draupadi loves the most. Even Nakula and Sehdeva seem to not care for the women who’ve been like a mother to them for most of their life. Bhima goes back for Draupadi. Then Bhima thinks about his life from his fathers death to the begining of their journey the Mount Meru.
Perspective of Bhima
Bhima is the second brother, the lone warrior. We see Mahabharata from his perspective which to me makes more sense then the original. I had always wondered if Yudhishtira is the son of Dharama, why in the world would he play a game of dice and bet his own brothers and wife. Bhima made Mahabharata more human for me, the Pandavas were not rightous sons of gods. Even with thier special powers they were human. Humans with insecurities, with flaws.
Bhima’s voice is the voice of sense of reason. Growing up I always thought Bhima was a dimwit with the strength to kill an elephent with bare hands. After reading this book I realised there is much more to Bhima than I thought, without him Pandavas wouldn’t even be able to survive till the Kurukshetra war let alone win it.
Ghatotkatch
The forest dweller was the son of Bhima who was pivotal to the war. From the first interaction of Ghatothkatch till the time he died in the war fighting against Karna he was a hero. He simply enters the life of Bhima not looking for anything. He is always more than happy to help his father. He considers it his duty to serve his father even though Bhima has never done anything for him.
Hipocracy of Bhima
Throughout the book Bhima always thinks of the treatment of women by Kuru clan, but he goes on to treat women in the same way. It just makes him look like a self-aware Kuru but still a Kuru.