Authors Preeti Shenoy, Anuja Chandramouli, and Kavita Kane in conversation with Akshat Gupta
These questions took centre stage at Panel 2 of TOI Dialogues Uttarakhand: Stories from the Hills, held at Hyatt Dehradun on September 15, 2026. Because they recognise those emotions within themselves, readers connect.
Chandramouli imagined they would be “a little stunned” by the way women have continued to be represented. Women have often been viewed through a binary lens: as either a goddess and mother or a “whore”, according to her. “But women are complex, enigmatic creatures,” she said, arguing that figures such as Urvashi and Rambha should not be reduced to their identities as apsaras. “I think they’ll flee,” she said, arguing that society still struggles to accept women who refuse to conform. Despite the passage of centuries, she said, women are still expected to adjust, while men are rarely asked to change. “Their original stories are completely distorted,” she said, pointing to Shakuntala as an example. We don’t like any shades of grey,” Kane said. “The more specific you become in your writing, the more relatable you become,” she said. “When I write about their stories, I try to let their silences speak,” she said.
Would they recognise themselves in the stories we continue to tell about them, or would they question the way their voices have been rewritten over centuries? Authors Preeti Shenoy , Anuja Chandramouli and Kavita Kane came together for a conversation titled ‘Where the stories begin’, moderated by author Akshat Gupta. ‘Women are complex, not perfect’ Gupta began by asking Chandramouli and Kane what women from mythology might see if they could travel to modern times. They were powerful women who influenced the course of mythology and, in many ways, history. If these women could reclaim their voices, Chandramouli suggested, their message would be simple: “We were complicated, not perfect. Gupta agreed, drawing a parallel with how society often views parents. children tend to see their mothers and fathers only through their roles as parents While growing up. It is only later that they realise they are individuals too, capable of making mistakes and having their own complexities. Reclaiming the stories of women For Kane, this is precisely why writers need to revisit mythology. The fiercely independent woman in mythology, she argued, is often overshadowed by the more familiar, idealised version associated with Kalidasa. “We like nice damsels in distress. She also questioned why women’s stories so often become secondary despite mythology having as many compelling women as men. “What is ‘ Ramayana ‘ without Sita? What is Shiva without Parvati?” she asked. Where does a story begin? The conversation then moved from mythology to the creative process itself. Shenoy, whose readers often tell her that they see their own lives reflected in her books, explained that emotional truth becomes universal when a writer gets specific. Rather than writing for everyone, she focuses intensely on one character: what that person is feeling but perhaps not expressing. For Kane, stories begin with a person, particularly the marginalised figures from mythology whose perspectives she explores. The question is what that person’s story might be and how readers can relate to her. For Chandramouli, however, stories begin with a wound. She traced her feminism to childhood, recalling growing up in conservative South India and wishing she could be a boy so she could enjoy the freedoms her brothers had. That experience shaped the way she approaches women in mythology. Rather than giving these women a voice, she sees her role as listening to the voices that are already there. Shenoy ultimately saw all three: person, place and wound as interconnected. Every person comes from somewhere, every place shapes us, and every story carries emotions that bind these experiences together. In the end, the panel suggested that perhaps the most powerful stories are not new ones at all but old stories waiting to be heard differently. To know more about TOI Dialogues Uttarakhand: Stories of the Hills, CLICK HERE. Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day. Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.
What would Sita, Draupadi, Uruvi or Menaka make of the world today? Kane took a more cynical view of what these mythological women might think of today’s world. She pointed to Sita, Draupadi, Surpanakha and Menaka as women whose stories continue to resonate with the struggles women face today.