Amar Chitra Katha - Delivering Indian Mythology Through Comics Since 1967
By Manvee Bhandia and Vaishnavi Kaushik
From sneaking away as a child to read the comics, to becoming the senior editor at the Bangalore office, Mr.s Reena I Puri has been with Amar Chitra Katha almost as long as its creator, Uncle Pai.
In 1967, Anant Pai, fondly remembered as Uncle Pai, created something immortal: Amar Chitra Katha. Loosely translated to Immortal Picture Stories, it soon became India’s most popular comic book series.
“Uncle Pai started this publication to show the children of India that we have icons and heroes in our own country. We don’t have to look to the West to feel inspired,” said Mrs. Reena I Puri, the senior editor of the Bangalore Amar Chitra Katha office.
Combining history lessons with eye-catching illustrations was what made Amar Chitra Katha stand out.
“While comic books are a western concept, we have adopted it and made it our own. We have used it to simplify long epics with complex storylines into a mere 32 pages. It is an art in itself. We pay attention to words that children would be familiar with and create a balance between the old and the new to give each character a unique tone,” said Niranjana Sivarama, the junior editor.
The comic book series started with a limited colour palette, consisting of only 26 colours.
“Due to limited colours, all Muslims were in green and Hindus were in red, as those colours were associated with Islam and Hinduism. We have tried to break that stereotype now. Asuras (demons) too were only portrayed to be dark and ugly, but today we have a handsome Raavan,” explained the senior editor.
The process of creating a comic is long and requires great attention to detail. The illustrators go through multiple rounds of illustrating, editing, and correcting before reaching the final stage. Once the illustrations are done, they’re sent for many rounds of correction to make sure there are no gaps in the illustrations, and everything is uniform.
“We can’t have Rama wearing wooden earrings on one page, and golden in the next” laughed Rituparna Hazra, an illustrator.
Their logo, which is a sun, has often been misunderstood and has been criticised for being affiliated to political parties. “It is a symbol of knowledge in most religions and cultures. It does not show our alliance to any party or support for any propaganda,” defended Mrs. Puri.
At Amar Chitra Katha, stories aren’t created, only retold. Each comic is extensively researched and the sentiments of people are kept in mind while drafting a story.
Mrs. Puri said,“The only reason we haven’t done a comic on the Prophet is because the Muslim community asked us not to. It would be disrespectful if his name were to feature in a comic and someone were to accidentally drop the comic on the floor.”
She went on to explain, “Famous historians, such as Romila Thapar, are consulted before each story is finalised and drafted. Along with the technical aspect, the emotional aspect of how a book might shape a child’s mind is given importance. With changing sensitivities and sensibilities, we also have to change and modify what we’re giving to the children.”
If a story is discriminatory in any manner, or glorifies something which shouldn’t be glorified, they make sure to not take it up.
“Being a grandmother, what I miss the most is how I’m unable to sit with my granddaughter and tell her stories about our country and its rich past. However, Amar Chitra Katha helps me bridge that gap,” said Mrs. Puri.
From being sold only by newspaper vendors and bookstores, they have retained their dynamic spirit and have moved on to creating an app of their own. An app that will enable its users to access these age old stories on their new age cellphones at a nominal price.
