The first courtroom scene in the special IP Court which introduces Arjun is hilarious and the wackiness of the plot brings an instant smile.

Kalyan has taken great pains in keeping this story authentic to their ways.

It is well known how they use underhand techniques to get the product and patent it in their name, and Dr. Kalyan, has also delved in extreme detail into the workings of the pharmaceutical companies and their profit only attitude. To bring this SanJeewani plant into the story as the crux of the legal fight is a great idea by the author. The SanJeewani herb with its life saving properties, which every Hindu has read about in the Holy book of Ramayana, is well recapitulated in the prologue. Such a book becomes a great amalgamation of the old with the new. It is nice when an author understands the Indian mythology and uses this knowledge in his book, giving it a modern twist. I loved the camaraderie between these three they provide relief when the court scenes become tensed. Arjun is accompanied by his wife Shreya, an intelligent researcher, paralegal, his assistant Jose and his dog Neo. His main character, a lawyer for the underdogs, Arjun, is a brilliant, young and blind, yet he does not allow this disability to erode his work, in fact, he uses it to his advantage at some points in the book. Kankanala, has taken his experiences as an IP attorney and used it to bring about this legal thriller between the ancient generous ways of the tribe and the modern money-minded pharma companies. And to fight them, we have the hero, Arjun whose brain is as sharp as his temper. The pharmaceutical companies who promised to do that initially, show their true money grabbing colours later. The plant has miracle life-saving effect, so with modern life being as it is, the Dravidians decide to pass on their traditional knowledge to be used for greater good in saving the life of every living being. The story goes like this, the sacred Dravidian Tribe, one of the most ancient tribes living in India, has protected the SanJeewani plant, since the time, when the Gods lived on this earth.

And when I got the opportunity to read this, I took it with great expectations and eagerness. It’s been very long since I read a book written by an Indian author.

The Dravidian by Kalyan C. Kankanala