Indian Graphic Novels

By Saraswati Nagpal. Along the way, Sita has to leave behind the luxury of royal comforts and live the simple, harsh life of a forest dweller, where danger is lurking in every shadow. Ensnared in the evil plans of the wicked demon-king Ravana, Sita is abducted and hidden away in Lanka. Will Rama muster up a strong army to rescue Sita from the demon’s clutches? Will Sita return to Ayodhya to become queen of the land… or is she destined to be mistrusted and live alone for the rest of her life?. Adapted from the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, this is a touching tale of love, honor, and sacrifice that reveals one woman’s shining strength in an unforgiving world. TOPICS TO ANALYZE: MYTHOLOGY RETELLING. Press here .

By Amruta Patil “Adi Parva” is Book 1 of the Mahabharata. It is how the epic came to be, which is narrated by Sauti (traditionally) to the rishis after the Sarpasatra (killing of the snakes) of Janamejaya (a direct descendant of the Pandavs). The first volume starts with how the Mahabharata came to be andends with the birth of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The Mahabharata as a tale is known to all. Its popularity cannot be contested. Many forms have been given to it in stories and different perspectives as well. This one however is told in the form of a graphic novel and Amruta Patil uses her craft stupendously. TOPICS TO ANALYZE: MYTHOLOGY RETELLING Press here. 

By Amruta Patil The book is a tour de force, breezing through the intricacies of the Mahabharata, with characters both emotional and flawed, art that carries a sense of emergency and foreboding, and the author not missing any opportunity to explain the workings of Dharma throughout the Kurukshetra war. The ending of this book resonates with the essence of this war as well, both devastating and unflinchingly tragic. Amruta Patil’s graphic novel thus, isn’t just a mere mythological retelling, it incorporates in itself beauty and spirituality, and shouldn’t be simply read but experienced by readers, fans of this genre or otherwise. TOPICS TO ANALYZE: MYTHOLOGY RETELLING. Press here.

By Jai Undurti (Author),‎ Ramya Ramakrishnan (Contributor),‎ Prashant Miranda (Contributor). The book has got a lot of well-known graphic artists, including work by Prashant Miranda, Ramya Ramakrishnan, CC Salamander, and Appupen (George Mathen). But for a book that many have lauded as a book on Bangalore that avoids all the clichés, it’s a little surprising that its cover has a woman dressed in the annoying, hypersexualised way that we are used to seeing goddesses depicted. Perhaps the rabbit and the ruins behind her, and the phone in her hand is supposed to divert our attention away from these clothes. TOPICS TO ANALYZE: MITHOLOGY RETELLING. Press here.

By Falana Films Parthasarathy founded The Royal Existentials in November 2014, after being inspired by David Malki's Wondermark, which injects Victorian art with humorous speech balloons. She came across Wondermark in 2010, and quickly thought that someone should do an Indian version of the same concept. The Royal Existentials is a product of Falana Dimka films, a company Parthasarathy co-founded with Chaitanya Krishnan. TOPICS TO ANALYZE: MITHOLOGY RETELLING Press here.

By Amruta Patil The story is about a young woman, Kari, finding her equilibrium in Mumbai after her breakup with Ruth. Kari continues her life in a publicity company and Ruth creates a family (with her husband and child). Apart from this backdrop, during the novel we will find a lot of flashbacks and mixture between fiction and reality concerning the lives of the two girls (especially the one of Ruth). TOPIC TO ANALYZE: ALTERNATIVE SEXUALITIES Press here.