Devdutt Pattanaik on Mythology, Brahmin backlash & growing up gay in India| Scroll Adda

Devdutt Pattanaik, a prolific mythologist with over 60 books, shares his insights in a 1.5‑hour conversation with Shoaib Daniyal. He explains why Indians have a natural affinity for mythology, how myth functions as an operating system for humans, and why he faces criticism from Brahmins for interpreting Hindu scriptures as a non‑Brahmin. Pattanaik also opens up about growing up gay and how that experience shapes his view of myth. The discussion covers a range of topics, beginning with his transition from MBBS to mythology at 1:45, exploring the role of rebirth in Indian mythology at 7:00, the perspective of traditional clergy at 17:22, the distinction between myth and fiction at 19:10, his dislike of historians at 31:00, his personal struggles with being gay at 35:15, his stance on post‑modernism at 47:00, the Indian genius for mythos at 51:40, caste issues at 1:02:55, the mythic status of Ram versus the historical Buddha at 1:10:40, Ram’s vegetarianism at 1:15:40, Brahmin opposition at 1:21:10, and the debate between history and mythology at 1:24:45.