I have always been a huge fan of history particularly, ancient Indian history.
One such periods of history that I adore is the Gupta era. I began writing a story set in this time period when I was struck by inspiration to create a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
One such real historical figure who was known for being a beast in the figurative sense of the word is the Hun King, Mihirakula.
For the sake of the story, I reframed him as a redeemable original character named Mihirana.
One of the themes of Beauty and the Beast is that she manages to tame the beast by captivating his heart, thereby, setting him on the path of redemption.
Another such theme is that Beauty learns to see beyond appearances, in my story, the heroine learns to see beyond xenophobic prejudice. She learns to see Mihira and the Huns as people not too different from herself.
The hero, Mihira, is essentially a Yandere male lead. In the beginning, he is as untamable as a force of nature. However, the heroine sets off a desire of changing himself in his heart.
If you enjoy Beauty and the Beast & Indian history, this story is definitely for you!
