Anand Neelakantan is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, cartoonist and public speaker. Anand Neelakantan has authored more than thirteen novels. He is known for using the technique of telling stories from the perspective of villains or other secondary characters in his works. Some of his notable works include Vanara: The Legend of Pali, Sugriva and Tara (2018), Penramayanam (Malayalam) (2019), Varmi Ki’s Woman” (2021), “Ajaya: The Roll of the Dice” (2013), “Ajaya: The Rise of Kali” (2013) 2015) and “The Rise of Sivagami” (2017).
Wiki/Biography
Anand Neelakantan was born on Wednesday, December 5, 1973 (age 50; as of 2023) in Thripoonithura, a village on the outskirts of Cochin in the state of Kerala, India. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Anand Neelakantan studied at FACT Town High School in Cochin, Kerala, from 1986 to 1989. He graduated in 1996 with a four-year bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the Government Engineering College, Trigur, Kerala. In 2009, he completed a one-year course in petroleum management from the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Dehradun. He was employed by Indian Oil Corporation from 1999 to 2022, when he resigned to pursue an active writing career.
family
Parents and siblings
Anand Neelakantan’s father is L. Neelakantan. In his memory, Anand Neelakantan himself painted his portrait. Not much information is available about his mother and siblings.
Anand Neelakantan’s father’s portrait
wife and children
He is married to Aparna Anand and has two children: Ananya Anand and Abhinav Anand. They have a pet dog, Jackie.
Anand Neelakantan and his family
Anand Neelakantan and his dog Jacky
Signature/Autograph
Profession
Anand Neelakantan is known for his humorous lectures and wide understanding of Indian mythology and history. He has participated as a panel speaker at various literary festivals such as Jaipur Literary Festival, Mumbai Literary Festival and Bhubaneswar Literary Festival. He also creates cartoons for Malayalam periodicals. He has been contributing to the current affairs section of The New Indian Express’s column ‘Sharp Angle’ since 2017.
novel
Anand Neelakantan is a famous writer of mythological novels. He has authored twelve books in English and one in Malayalam. His debut novel, Asura: The Story of the Vanquished, is published by Leadstart Publishing. The book became a bestseller within a week of its release. His second book, Ajaya: The Throw of the Dice, was based on the Mahabharata and told from the perspective of the Kauravas, and its sequel, Ajaya: The Rise of Kali. The authorized prequel novel to the Baahubali film series is written by Anand Neelakantan.
Ramayana series
- Asura: Legend of the Vanquished (2012)
- Shanta: The Story of Rama’s Sister (2017)
- Ravana’s sister: Meenakshi (2018)
- Vanara: The Legend of Baal, Sugreva and Tara (2018)
- Pennramayanam (Malayalam) (2019)
- The Woman of Valmiki(2021)
Mahabharata series
- Ajaya: Roll the Dice (2013)
- Ajaya: The Rise of Kali (2015)
- Nala Damyanti: The Eternal Story of the Mahabharata (2023)
Baahubali series
- The Rise of Sivagami (2017)
- Mahishmathi Queen(2020)
children’s book series
- The most naughty Asura story for children (Puffin Books) (2020)
- Naughty Flying Mountain (Puffin Chapter Book) (2023)
audiobook series
- Many Ramayana, Many Lessons, Audible.com (2021)
- Damayanti by Nala, Storytel.com (2021)
television
Anand Neelakantan has also written scripts for popular Hindi TV series on various GEC and OTT platforms.
- Chakravartin King Ashoka (Color TV)
- Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman (Sony TV)
- Sarfarosh – The Battle of Saragarhi (Netflix)
- Taj Mahal: Parted by Blood (Zee 5)
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 2017, Anand Neelakantan won the Kalinga International Literary Award at the Kalinga Literary Festival in Bhubaneswar. Its theme is “Literature of Peace and Harmony”.
Vanara wins Best Novel Award at Gurgaon Literary Festival 2019
- His first book, Asura: The Story of the Vanquished, was shortlisted for the Crossword Popular Award in 2013.
- Anand Neelakantan’s second book, Ajaya: Roll of the Dice, was shortlisted for the 2014 Crossword Popular Award.
- Anand Neelakantan’s book The Rise of Sivagami was shortlisted for the 2018 Crossword Popular Award. The book also received praise from India’s top book critics.
- Anand Neelakantan won the Lit-O-Fest Literary Legend Award in 2017.
Facts/Trivia
- Anand Neelakantan has acted in two commercials and played the opposite role of Ettapa Naicker in the Doordarshan TV series “Swaraj”.
- Anand Neelakantan’s novels have been translated into languages other than English, including Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali , Gujarati, Indonesian, Assamese and Kannada.
- Anand Neelakantan’s famous novel “Asura: Tale of the Vanquished” (2012) was listed by Amazon book editors among the 100 must-read books by Indian writers in a lifetime one. Over the years, the book has sold over a million copies. In 2015 and 2017, he was named one of the “Top 100 Celebrities in India” by Forbes India.
- SS Rajamouli, the director of the “Baahubali” series, unveiled the cover of “The Rise of Sivagami” at the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2017. Netflix recently announced a web series based on the novel The Rise of Sivagami.
- After acquiring the film rights, DAR Films and KR Movies will produce a multi-lingual film on Vanara.
- On March 14, 2022, Storytel released Anand’s first audio drama Nala’s Damayanti. Audio versions are available in nine Indian languages.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education