Priya to the rescue

Priya and Sahas. Pics Courtesy/Priya’s Shakti

Every year, dense black smog descends over Delhi, heralding the onset of winter. It momentarily grabs headlines across India for a few months, before the citizens carry on with their lives. But not the ones who struggle to breathe in its wake. Like Somya, a little girl whose mother works in one of the many smoke-producing factories dotting the National Capital. In the recently released comic book, Priya and the Twirling Wind, written by Shubhra Prakash and Raven Kaliana, we meet an ill Somya, who is being rushed to the hospital. As a scared Somya slips into a delirium worrying about her polluted city, she encounters Priya, the superhero, her flying tiger Sahas, and their lush green enchanted forest that is under threat from greedy industrialists.

Ram Devineni. Pic Courtesy/Stephen Cherry

Created in 2014, two years after the Delhi gang rape, Priya is India's first female comic book superhero and a rape survivor. Through a series of Augmented Reality (AR) comic books, she has taken on issues such as victim-blaming, stigma faced by survivors, and COVID-19. In Priya and the Twirling Wind, the superhero, along with Somya, seeks inspiration from the iconic Chipko Movement in Uttarakhand to defend their home. This time, the story is also brought to life in an accompanying short film that features cool puppets created by Kaliana, a renowned puppeteer. US-based Ram Devineni, who has developed the series, shares that fans have been asking when Priya will tackle Delhi's toxic haze. "Every year, it seemed to worsen and the pollution was taking a toll on children. It was important that Priya and Sahas approach any issue from their own experiences and through the lens of gender," Devineni adds.

Shubhra Prakash

Drawing on Chipko, an enduring symbol of rural women-led resistance, was thus a natural choice. "Their action inspired a global environmental movement and systematic changes in ecological policies in India," the creator notes. The movement is also a textbook example of how working together can lead to a cleaner tomorrow. "For children, it's important to start with living a sustainable life in their homes, school and neighbourhood," Devineni points out.

Somya and her mother struggle in Delhi's smog in a still from the animation puppet film

Through a sensitive narrative and clever colour-play, the comic paints the story of kids like Somya, whose homes are too often razed in the name of development, whose parents are compelled to work in toxic factories, and who bear the scars of climate change. For Delhi-based Prakash, who's been a part of the Priya series since the beginning, the cause hits home. "Spending time in the Metro, one can't look away from the destitute state of children who stop at traffic lights to earn money. This is the hard truth of the modern world that seems to be progressing at a fast rate but leaves these children behind. They are often the ones who suffer the worst outcome of air and water pollution. It was a conscious choice to pick that voice," Prakash explains.

A panel from Priya and the Twirling Wind

At a time the Greta Thunbergs of the world are advocating for a greener lifestyle, the narrative highlights the power of young voices. And so, as a puppet, Priya interviews young activists Ridhima Pandey and Alexandria Villaseñor, among other eco-crusaders. Kaliana, whose work involves sparking discussions for social change through issue-based puppetry, says she thought about how little ones can feel helpless with regards to global issues.

Raven Kaliana with Priya

"I thought about the school strikes [Fridays for Future] and how the simple act of planting trees can reclaim a desert. Puppetry is an amazing medium because it can show different possibilities and give us some hope. It can free up one's imagination to play with different approaches; many adults have forgotten how to play, and puppetry can remind us," Kaliana signs off.

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