If you are one of those people who used to spend lunch breaks at school with your nose buried in Bantul the Great, Nonte Fonte or Handa Bhonda, then we’ve got good news for you. In the last few years, there has admittedly been a decline in the Bangla shishu shahityo department when it comes to comic books (or graphic novels, as they are now popularly called). Don’t get us wrong, there are still lots of comic books that are being written, but the same cannot be said for graphic novels that cater specifically to children.
In a culture that takes so much pride in its rich legacy of children’s literature, this is indeed a worrisome scenario — where, you might ask, are those Bengali comic books of your childhood, which you grew up reading and now want to introduce your own kids? Has nothing been written since that combines the ample doses of humour and ever-eternal wonder and delight that used to be so rampant in the graphic novels of your childhood? Has the innocence of those stories, packed with mischief, mishaps, and just the right touch of magic, vanished altogether?
Rejoice when we say, not quite.
While it is true that the golden age of Bengali children’s comics now feels like a distant memory, a gentle revival is nevertheless underway. A new crop of writers and illustrators is reimagining the Bengali children’s comics genre, holding on to its warmth and whimsy while making space for today’s generation that grows up with more information and technology than they are equipped to handle, and all their questions, curiosities, and quirks intact. And yes, while the doler panda-type of stories in the contemporary comic space may have taken a back seat, this fresh wave of graphic novels has brought to light a whole new world and angle to traditional storytelling that we, back in our innocent Pagla Dashu-reading days, would never have imagined.
Today’s comic characters, albeit not as many as we would like, are tech-savvy, snazzy, and with more aces up their sleeve than Shukhalata Rao, proponent of the Bengali comic genre and part of the illustrious Ray lineage, could ever have conceptualised. Taken together, it would be safe to say that Bengali children’s comics, while still in numbers far from ideal, have entered a brand new phase — one that honours the roots of the genre while rewriting stringent rules.
A fabulous example of this new wave would be the comic books that actor Ishan Mazumder has been penning recently, a heartwarming sequence of graphic novels that act like a breath of fresh air in this almost post-comic world. A favourite of mine from this vault is his Goyenda Gogo book — Goyenda Gogo O Ghotonpurer Bhoot (also available, translated into English, as Detective Gogo and the Ghouls of Ghotonpur), a hilarious novel that seamlessly integrates the technologically-advanced times of today with the traditional Leela Majumder-Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay magic. Like the title suggests, the story revolves around a detective named Gogo, who, along with his squad — his brother Chicken, the robot Chilli, and the spirit of his late grandma, Super Didan — goes around solving ghost-related mysteries.
Gogo is the perfect bheto Bangali foodie detective who would exchange an arm and a leg to be able to spend a day with Sherlock Holmes and Feluda, yet he is far more attuned to the world of GPS tracking, nut-bolt e bhora inventions, and electronic sleuthing than any of his predecessors. He is the kind to stop mid-chase for a plate of shorshe ilish, but you can be sure he’ll crack a crime or solve a mystery before dessert! And this is what makes the Ghotonpurer Bhoot book so endearing (and so effective), this blend of absurdity and astuteness, tradition and tech, heart and humour.
The same can be said for another of Ishan’s graphic novels — Modonpurer Mamdo Bhootera O Count Dracula, which is another hilarious ride into the typical sights and sounds of a traditional Bengali jomidari, except enriched by modern science and the age-old story of the vampire Dracula — yes, the same Dracula that first sprung from Bram Stoker’s imagination. Filled with rich, vibrant illustrations, snappy dialogue, and characters that are equal parts caricature and deeply Bengali archetype, Ishan’s comics, from the houses of Inika Publications and Dev Sahitya Parishad, are a window into a world that feels fresh yet familiar, and exactly the kind of comic universe most Bengali children (and their nostalgic parents) didn’t know they were waiting for.
On a mission to change
“I have wanted to create comics since I was a kid. I went to Patha Bhavan, and a whole bunch of schoolmates and I were interested in comics, so that’s really where the seed of it came from. For Gogo, I started out wanting to create a Rappa Ray-like character, but I was also obviously massively inspired by Asterix and Tintin. I’ve always enjoyed Ghostbusters, and I knew that the characters needed to be Bengali. So all of these things came together — I combined Lalmohon Babu with Eken Babu, in a way, and came up with Gogo. That’s how he was made,” says Ishan on the subject, and really, it’s quite easy to see how dedicated and sincere he is towards his projects.
Ishan is also quite insistent on the fact that, despite the promising future the comic genre still has in Bengali literature, not enough work has been done in the field lately, especially when it comes to children’s books. This, Ishan says, is what he is on a mission to change, and it is the primary reason for him to pick up his pen and get really involved in these graphic novels, which have already seen quite enthusiastic sales at the International Kolkata Book Fair.
When it comes to comics, especially, Ishan means business. “The last really good set of comics for kids was Chacha Chaudhary, many years ago. When my books first came out, we faced great response from readers, so much so that they were sold out very quickly! And let’s face it, one of the reasons why adults and their kids are fond of comics, even in the present day, is the fact that everyone is extremely stressed about everything, and these comics that we love so much give us a space to unwind without the story itself getting too complicated.
“And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do with these comics. For them to maybe reduce some of the stress that the modern world has instilled in us and bring a little bit of hope, a little bit of longing, a little bit of childhood and nostalgia to the people who choose to read them. The main intention I have for these books is for them to add to the wonderful legacy of the comic genre that Bengali literature and culture are already so proud of.
“I started out writing these stories because I wanted to create something that would help me preserve my childhood, but in the process, I’ve also realised that my childhood is very different from the childhood that these kids are living today. That is why I wanted to upgrade the books with some elements of IT, but you will have noticed that the core of the books has remained the same as the ones we used to read when we were young. I only want the people reading them to remember their own childhood fondly, and in case of the current generation, help them understand that modern science and tradition need not be mutually exclusive.”
It would be fair to say that Ishan’s graphic novels have gathered both name and acclaim. The Boi Mela, like we said earlier, has seen the books flying off shelves, leading Ishan to ponder on other ways of making his characters popular. “We have lots of plans for the books, but we can’t disclose too much yet!” Ishaan tells me mischievously. “I can only tell you that the Boi Mela next year will have some very interesting stuff indeed. We are trying to keep the books and, eventually, future merchandise as accessible as possible because we want as many people as possible to be introduced to the worlds we have created.”
In a world that is slowly forgetting the thrill of slow afternoons spent turning pages rather than scrolling screens, Ishan’s literary endeavours act as a harbinger of positive change. And while there is still much ground to cover in reviving a genre that once shaped an entire generation’s imagination, Ishan’s graphic novels offer hope.
What are your favourite Bengali comic books? Tell t2@abp.in
