Rajesh Talwar’s New Children’s Book Blends Ancient India with Modern Magic
Princess Pihu is a strong and helpful female protagonist, in this unique tale that defies fairy tale clichés. Set in ancient India, Rajesh Talwar’s The Witch, The Princess and The Tower of Doom (Ponytale Books) has a completely different spin on the classic Western tale of Rapunzel. While the story remains rooted in Indian culture, at the same time it resonates modern day values, and is bound to enthral children from across the world, It is truly a magical adventure seen from an Indian lens and perspective. Pihu’s journey opposes racism, reinterprets gender norms, and honours inner strength above outward appearances. Talwar’s new book comes with deep lessons on environmental preservation, and health care.. The book offers a magical experience filled with supernatural elements, unexpected turns, and a story that blends ancient settings with a modern spirit.
In 2025 Rajesh Talwar was the recipient of an International Alumni Award from the University of Nottingham. The jury that gave him the award spoke of his notable publications such as Courting Injustice: The Nirbhaya Case and Its Aftermath, The Third Sex and Human Rights and most recently The Mahatma’s Manifesto: A Critique of Hind Swaraj The jury praised Talwar’s books on caste discrimination such as ‘The Boy Who Wrote a Constitution’ and his work on toxic terror through his staged play titled ‘The Killings in November.’
About the book
From the West came the tale of Rapunzel, whose long hair enabled her rescue from the tower in which she was trapped. Now, from the East, comes the delightful story of Princess Pihu with her black, silken, flowing tresses. Her parents, the king and queen of the kingdom of Pandya, get into trouble with the dreaded Churailamma, a witch. Following an agreement, after some years, the witch takes custody of the princess and imprisons her in the Tower of Doom.
All is not what it seems, however. The princess learns many new things during her time in the tower. She starts to think of the witch as an enigma. Soon a prince appears, who is, however, of a delicate constitution and suffers from many ailments. The prince falls in love with the princess and is determined to rescue her. Will he succeed in rescuing her? More importantly, perhaps, will our princess be able to help the prince in rescuing her?
Finally, a question most such stories don’t ask: what happens to the witch? Is she wicked, or wise – or possibly both? As people in the kingdom start to fall ill, who will come to their rescue? Did the witch cause people to fall ill? Could it be that there is someone even more wicked than the witch? This enchanting tale has multiple twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged from start to finish.
About the author
Rajesh Talwar is an international award- winning author of 43 books, across multiple genres which includes plays, novels, children’s books, self-help books, and non-fiction works on social justice, law, culture and other subjects. His plays cover everything from current events to historical retellings, and his novels cover everything from aesthetics to terrorism and the Indian legal system. Among his non-fiction books on legal and political subjects are Courting Injustice: The Nirbhaya Case and its Aftermath (Hay House; 2013) and The Mahatma’s Manifesto: A Critique of Hind Swaraj (Om Books International; 2025).
The Bearded Prince and The Boy Who Wrote a Constitution (Ponytale Books; 2022) are two of his well-known children’s books. Rajesh has worked for the United Nations in senior positions across three continents over a period of two decades and regularly contributes to both domestic and foreign publications. He has studied for shorter and longer durations at Nottingham, Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and Delhi University. Rajesh is currently producing and co-directing an AI generated animated feature film on toxic terror titled ‘Smoky Sky Songs.’
