EXCLUSIVE | Author Kevin Missal on Parashurama: The Axe of Rudra, his personal connection with mythology and the rise of audiobooks

Kevin Missal is one of India's most popular mythological fiction writers, who has carved a niche for himself with best-selling books based on legendary figures from Indian mythology. Known for bringing lesser-explored characters to life through his unique vision and compelling storytelling, Missal recently released Parashurama: The Axe of Rudra, which delves into the life and journey of Lord Parashuram, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu.

In an exclusive conversation with WION, Kevin opened up about the audience's response to his personal connection with the legendary deities and the growing popularity of audiobooks over traditional reading.

WION: What has been the response to the latest release, Parashuram: The Axe of Rudra, and has anything about the audience reaction surprised you?

KEVIN:Well, I'm very surprised that the audience has been very receptive to the entire book. I am releasing a book after one year. I thought that I was probably gonna get less audience, but the books are flying off the shelves.

WION: Parshuram is known to be a fierce character. After spending so much time researching him, how would you describe the divinity that readers will meet in your audiobook? Which mythological character do you feel most connected to?

KEVIN: I think he's a very pragmatic God. I think he's a very pragmatic man, also. I think he's someone who is very, very practical in his approach. He's someone who is a very learned figure in our entire Hindu history, and that fear, that anger, I think that's just a part of him. There's a lot to him as well. Once you kind of delve into his life, which the book does, then you'll understand where he's coming from.

I think he's a very family man, he's a very family person, he's someone who had a lot of brothers, who was very close to his parents. I think somewhere it kind of connects with me as well because I have, while I don't have brothers, I have a lot of cousins, I have a lot of family members I'm close to, even in today's day and age when usually I see my counterparts around me who are not that interested to be in front of me.

I still live with my parents even after getting married. I have very close familial ties. Yeah, I think Lord Parshuram's life when he was young was like very family-oriented.

WION: Mythological storytelling is becoming popular nowadays, and Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is also coming soon. Parshuram had an encounter with Lord Rama where he challenged him to prove his strength. Why do you think stories like these still resonate with audiences?

KEVIN:I think they are universal in their approach. They deal with very simple themes. I think what matters is, for instance, when you look at the Ramayana, it deals with the theme of a man's wife being abducted by a Rakshas, by a demon. So it's about him going to get his wife back and, along the way, defeat the demon as well.

It's a very simple story filled with very interesting figures, and very interesting subplots. I think what matters, even with Lord Parshuram's journey as well, is that it deals with a simple thought process, where his father was killed, and in response, he wants to go and take vengeance against all the kings who have polluted the earth.

It's a revenge story; and it's a story that has a lot of universal appeal. I think that's what makes it timeless. Even after a hundred years, if someone writes about Lord Parshuram, it's still going to feel fresh. It's all very fresh because the story is simple; the skeleton is simple, but the meat is where the complexity comes into the picture.

WION: The Hindu month of Sawan is currently underway, and Lord Parshuram has a strong connection with Lord Shiva, the revered deity of this time. Do you think the timing of your audiobook release makes the story even more relevant for audiences?

KEVIN:I myself am very, very shocked that it is being released. It all happened so organically. It was supposed to be released in June. The book was finished last year, by the way. And the editorial, the cover, and everything were supposed to be released during the summertime because it was supposed to be a summertime, long-lasting kind of thing. And for whatever reason, I think probably because of the blessings of Lord Parshuram only, it was released around summer. So, I'm very happy to actually say that.

WION: You became widely known for your Kalki trilogy and have since explored several mythological characters, including Karna, Narasimha and Meghnad. What draws you towards these larger-than-life figures and their stories?

KEVIN: When I wrote Kalki, not many people really knew about the character. I still remember pitching the book and being asked what it was about. Some people even thought it was connected to actress Kalki Koechlin rather than Lord Kalki. Today, Kalki is seen as a larger-than-life figure.

When it comes to Lord Parashurama, I personally feel that not much has been written about him. We know about Lord Parashuram only through the Ramayana, where he meets Lord Ram and challenges him. However, we don't know his Chiranjeevi side. We don't know his side, how he grew up, or that he lived in a small village called Dharapa. His first book is about him getting his axe from Lord Shiva. And I think those are the stories that were not told. And that was one of the major reasons of, you know, pushing for Lord Parashurama.

So, while it might look larger than life when we chat about them, unfortunately, a lot of people don't talk about them as much as they should be. And we only, unfortunately, know the two major epics, which are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Beyond that, when it comes to Jyotindra, a lot of people don't know their mythology, unfortunately.

We usually know our gods and goddesses from a religious perspective, but not necessarily from a mythological or literary one. While my books are not meant to be strict retellings of the Puranas, I hope they encourage readers to explore these stories further. If someone reads one of my books and becomes curious enough to learn more about the characters, my job is done. So, that is my agenda as a storyteller.

WION: If you could give us just one hint about what Kevin Missell readers should look forward to next, what would it be?

KEVIN: My next book will obviously be Parshurama 2. I want to finish the series and then move on to the next series. So, Parshurama 2 will be released, hopefully, around January, and Parshurama 3 will be released around April-May, which is around the summer. And then it's going to be on the Varaha Avatar, Mohini Avatar, and on the entire Amarida property I'm going to be writing from. So, I'm planning to finish the entire Amarida property. I believe I have also just released a few audiobooks already.