After 'RRR', 'Baahubali', Vijayendra Prasad turns to Lachit Borphukan's saga
New Delhi, May 18: After being revived by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the 17th-century general Lachit Borphukan's story is being brought to life by 'RRR' screenwriter, film director and Rajya Sabha MP Vijayendra Prasad in a novel titled 'Brahmaputra: The Ahom Son Rises (Book 1)'.
The prolific screenwriter of blockbusters, who's also S.S. Rajamouli's father, has collaborated with naval officer-turned-espionage fiction writer Kulpreet Yadav to put together the novel being released by HarperCollins Publishers India on May 30.
The story, which mixes action and romance, takes off with Lachit falling in love with Princess Padmini, daughter of Swargadeo Jayadhwaj Singha, ruler of the Ahom kingdom. The king finds out about the romance and throws Lachit out of the capital, Jorhat.
A few days later, the Ahom capital is attacked by Aurangzeb's forces, forcing the king to sign a peace treaty, whereby he cedes part control of his kingdom to the Mughals. For Lachit and his best friend, Prince Chakradhwaj, the terms of the treaty are humiliating.
Within days their troubles multiply when a prince from a kingdom loyal to the Ahoms misleads other minor rulers and attacks Jorhat. As Lachit and Prince Chakradhwaj defend the capital, this battle has the power to change the future of the Ahom kingdom forever.
Can Lachit, Prince Chakradhwaj and Princess Padmini restore the honour of the Ahoms by defeating the rebels and breaking free from the Mughal stranglehold? That is the crux of the story from the multi-award-winning writer of the two 'Baahubali' films, beside 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'.
Prasad's collaborator, Kulpreet Yadav, is a product of the Naval Officers' Academy who has spent two decades as an officer in uniform and successfully commanded three ships in his career.
Since his retirement from the Indian Coast Guard in 2014, he has authored books across multiple genres, such as espionage, military history and true crime. He lives in Mumbai and his latest is 'The Battle of Rezang La' (Penguin, 2021).