Lost But Not Forgotten 

The saga of an unsung hero in the undulating waves of history 

When, Angria: A Historical Odyssey, unfolded at Charbagh on the first day of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2024, it became a harmonious convergence of history, literature, and the allure of nature. It was a moment where its author Sohail Rekhy’s historical vision met the keen curiosity of the audience in a setting that mirrored the timeless beauty of the tales being told.

The author’s choice to focus on Kanhoji Angre over Shivaji in his writing reflects a deliberate decision to spotlight an unsung hero. Kanhoji Angre’s role as a naval commander and his efforts to protect the Maratha empire from various maritime threats add a unique dimension to the historical narrative. 

In conversation with Kai Bird, Rekhy said, “When I realised how successful a person he (Kanhoji Angre) was, I just wondered how is it that he is not a national hero or rather why so few people know about him and I just got obsessed with that.” He added, “I wanted to present a narrative that was just something in antagonism to all the narratives that have existed for 350 years now, painting him a pirate. So now, I wanted one different tale portrayal.” It took Rekhy five years to write the book with half of the time devoted solely to research. The choice to focus on an unsung hero provided an opportunity to explore lesser-known facets of the historical context, offering readers a fresh perspective on the events of that era.

I wanted to present a narrative that was just something in antagonism to all the narratives that have existed for 350 years now, painting him a pirate. So now, I wanted one different tale portrayal

Sohail Rekhy on Kanhoji Angre

Kai also expressed the curiosity to understand the tension between reality and research about Angre while making a dialogue on a real historical character and the line between fiction and non-fiction. “Though there was a lot of information on battles he fought, letters he wrote, and business he conducted, very little was known about his personality and so I needed to find what his motives were, what drove him in life. I used direct quotations from his letters and found his soul in that line because he came across as a very pragmatic and rational person,” said Rekhy. 

Rekhy, who is actress Waheeda Rahman’s son, also shared that Amitav Ghosh has been a great influence. “I just love how evocative he is, how he’s able to transport us back and deal with several generations.”

Upon being asked whether he prefers a good story or a complete one, the American author Kai Bird shared, “I prefer a good story over a complete story because biographies are so comprehensive that they cannot be complete.”