ABSTRACT
Vishwajyoti Ghosh is one of the most prominent graphic novelists in the alternative trajectory of comic books in India (other prominent names include Orijit Sen, Amruta Patil, Parismita Singh, Sarnath Banerjee and members of the Pao Collective). I use the word “alternative” here because knowledge about, and scholarship on, Indian comic books and graphic novels have generally tended to focus on the well-known Amar Chitra Katha series (see McLain), comic book companies like Diamond, Indrajal and Raj, and a few vernacular comic book series. More recently, Virgin Comics (renamed Liquid Comics), which produces “commercial” comic books, and noir-ish productions like Saurav Mohapatra’s Mumbai Confidential have also had an impact, albeit limited, on the Indian and international markets. Discussing this recent “commercial” trend, Creekmur writes:
While such examples have met only with limited success, as products of the Indian diaspora they represent what is likely to be a continuing attempt to infuse comics designed for international audiences with “exotic” Indian characters and content while adhering to mainstream generic conventions. (356)
The oeuvre represented by Ghosh and the others mentioned along with him above, however, moves away from these dominant trends in the Indian comic book scene. Creekmur argues that “… texts most often identied as Indian graphic novels seem not to derive from earlier Indian comics, except perhaps in an oppositional way, positioning earlier or even contemporaneous mainstream Indian comics as counter-examples rather than precursors or peers” (349). While Ghosh is correct when he says in the interview below that the publication of ten books is not enough to talk about a “ contemporary scene” for the Indian graphic novel, a few common elements can already be discerned in this emergent body of work: a meticulous observation of everyday life in urban centers (Sarnath Banerjee’s Corridor, Ghosh’s Delhi Calm), a concern with representing events of historical or socio-political signicance in comic book form (Orijit Sen’s River of Stories, Ghosh’s This Side, That Side, Parismita Singh’s The Hotel at the End of the World), experimentations with non-linear and experimental forms of storytelling, techniques of collage, and a deft exploration of the interconnections
between interior and exterior landscapes (Amruta Patil’s Kari). At the same time, the language and references used by these graphic novels are also culturally specic, which, as Creekmur says, “perhaps explains why no individual work has yet enjoyed international ‘crossover’ success” (349). However, although not commercially successful, this alternative trajectory has already distinguished itself through its engagement with socio-political issues and its divergent, experimental styles.
