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Desi defenders strike

Superheroes unwinds tales of fantasy, unbelievable feats and great abilities

photo: T.A. HAFEEZ

Author-speak Manjula Padmanabhan says writing for children is quite similar to writing for adults

As far as Indian readers are concerned, it might be time for Batman, Superman and the rest of their American ilk to take a break. After all, the open skies are now home to Rocket Kumar. And should any of our local villains step out of line, you can b et that Screaming Diva will split their heads open with her piercing voice.

And should they give her the slip, Trixy, the super dog, will track them from South Africa to New Delhi. Eight Indian writers have woven a world of fantasy, adventure and super skills in “Superheroes” published by Scholastic. The authors, including Manjula Padmanabhan, Samit Basu and six others, have created characters who strive to make the world a better place with extraordinary or not-so-extraordinary skills.

So, is this the grand arrival of the “desi” Superheroes in Indian literature? Anshumani Ruddra, the creator of “Split Infinitive and the Destroyer of Worlds” in the anthology disagrees. “I do not think the genre of superheroes has come of age,” says the Chennai-based writer. “Apart from Hanuman, The Mahabharata, Shaktiman or even Chacha Chowdhary, we have not had many superheroes,” he explains. “We have made a start, but still h ave a long way to go.”

Venita Coelho, author of “Bihari and the Ultimate Challenge”, draws attention to the superheroes in mythology that just have to be stroked to life. “As a culture, we have to tap them,” says the Goa-based writ er. “For long, these superheroes have been swallowed by Hindi films,” she says. “Cinema has always had superheroes. The latest is Krrish,” adds Anita Roy, who tells the tale of “Trixy the Wonderdog”. Anshumani says, the task of creating a fan base for superheroes does not fall on him and other contemporary writers.

If the Indian literary landscape has not had many superheroes in the past, he points out, the blame lies with the publishing industry.

“Now the industry has faith in fantasy and speculative stories and superhero tales are a branch of that.”With the stories in “Superheroes” primarily targeting children, the thrust has been to make the stories as gripping, interesting and simple as possible.

For instance, Anshumani has attempted an unusual opening for his story. “I have begun the story with death,” he says, adding that he believes that his audience will be able to handle such an opening. Similarly, Venita’s is a fun take on superheroes.

“It is an ironic story and is tied to the aspiration of being a film hero,” she says. “When you are writing for children it is important not to take them for granted and treat them with respect,” says Anshumani. Agrees Manjula Padmanabhan, author of “Mr Ordinary”. “Writing for children is quite similar to writing for adults,” says the author of the award-winning “Harvest”.

“There are freedoms and restrictions specific to each genre – it’s a bit like choosing different paths through the forest - you see different views, perhaps, but the experience of walking is essentially the same whether one is writing for children or adults,” Manjula adds.

Samit Basu’s “Rocket Kumar and the Desi Defenders”, Indrajit Hazra’s “The Flushman Cometh”, “The Key To All Worlds” by Rimi B. Chatterjee and Sampurna Chattarji’s “The Archrival of Amnesia and Captain Blotto’s Wonder-drink” are the other tales in the collection.

P. ANIMA

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