The popular telling of the Mahabharata are about Duryodhana’s deviousness, obstinacy and greed for power that would bring about the battle of Kurukshetra between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, and his own downfall,

But was there more to him? Was he all black, or was it matter of shades of grey?

What was he?

True heir or pretender to the throne?

Arch villain or brave prince defending his rajadharma?

Ace strategist or wicked schemer?

History, they say, is written by the victors. So we have never heard the side that Duryodhana presents. The epic’s enigmatic villain fnally has say-on people, their motives and their machinations. For the first time we read a different meaning into episodes we may be familiar with-be it the attempted killing of Bhima, the burning of the wax house, the famous game of dice or even Draupadi’s vastraharan-and get insights into the story we may not come before. Here is the crown prince of Hastinapura as we have never known him, adding yet another dimension to the labyrinth that is the Mahabharata.