Filmmaker Vinod Nair revisits historical events in debut book
New Delhi: Filmmaker Vinod Raman Nair has always been drawn towards history and in his debut book, he weaves an adventure around ninth century Middle East through Tunisia to Armenia and Azerbaijan, and then to Turkey, Iran and Iraq.
"3 & The Emerald Stone of Irene" seeks to perceive medieval Islamic history with a fictional narrative and unravel the mystery of what is regarded as the Golden Age of the Islamic Empire.
Nair is of the view that history for many children turns boring as parents often push them to mathematics and other science subjects.
It took him a while when he stepped into his youth that he realised that "history was the most misrepresented topic to a child".
In his case, he developed a liking for the subject by reading books related to history and watching films.
"History having so many dimensions, I envisaged weaving stories of these great civilisations, their glory, and their fall," he says about the idea behind his book, adding this story is a blend of history and contemporary adventure with fictional characters.
"Today, viewing history through timelines and personalities leads to wars. History should be understood as stories of great civilisations that existed on this planet and events that shaped the world," Nair says.
Nair, who has worked with personalities like Korean director Kwon Taek, producer-director Stanley Huntsman and British actor Alex Goldwin, shot across war-torn Gaza Strip for a German film, which entered the 2004 Berlin Film Festival.
Legend has it that Empress Irene, the ruler of Eastern Roman Empire, had to part with an occult stone with the power of fortune that helped Caesar rule the world.
She gave it to Harun, the 19-year-old son of Al Mhadi - the Caliph during his conquest of Byzantium in 782 AD. The stone was lost during the crumbling of the Islamic Caliphate in the 13th century. It is believed to be buried in the lost city of Al Rafika.
In the novel, published by Notion Press, the quest to find the emerald stone reaches a breaking point. There have been three high-profile assassinations (connected by a mysterious golden arrow found next to each body) and the kidnapping of a veteran archaeologist.
A world forum of peacemakers summons an archaeologist, a spy and a historian to take charge. The '3' come together to unearth a deadly macabre of events, which lead to "The Order of the 9 Angels", a neo-Nazi Satanic organisation led by dark lord Nergal.
The '3' set into the mission to stop the stone falling into the hands of the dangerous Nergal.
