Blast from the past
Let’s turn the clocks back to the 80s. Back when we didn’t have Facebook to distract us. Those days my brother and I would head to the nearest book store and plunder the racks for Indrajaal and Diamond comics. One day I came across this Digest, I opened it and I fell right in. The cover had a guy in spandex with a Kato mask and a pointed Moustache.
This was Fauladi Singh; it was desi version of Flash Gordon and I loved it.
Fast forward a bit and I’m writing comics, and now I’m surrounded by fan boys who have encyclopedic knowledge of Marvel and DC (Hey, I too love selected Marvel /DC titles) but when it comes to Indian Comics a few of them give me a blank look.
Here are some Indian comic characters I would love to see in circulation again:
Bahadur
What if Bahadur returned? Who would be his enemies now? The era of dacoits is over. However villains still exist in real life, only now they wear khadi and suits. It would be interesting to see Bahadur fighting those who are in power.
Chacha Chaudhary
The man with the supercomputer brain, a giant named Sabu on one side and a dog named Rocket, Chacha solved the problems of the world with intelligence and good humour. It’s a shame that Bollywood has ignored Chacha Chaudhary for the silver screen, it would be great to see the iconic baddie Raakha tear it up.
Doga
India’s very own antihero, an orphan subjected to terrible horrors as a child and personal tragedy in adulthood, this sociopath wears a dog mask and “uproots problems”. I have contributed a few stories for Doga in Doga Diaries 2 and 3, and I made it a point to show Doga as a merciless vigilante who dished out his own brand of justice. A movie adaptation is in the works, with Anurag Kashyap at the helm. What eludes me personally is one major arc that I would like to write for Doga!
Fauladi Singh
Our very own space opera. I loved reading Fauladi Singh. The protector of mankind was supported by fascinating characters like Dr. John, who gave Fauladi his powers; his sidekick Lambu, who ironically could turn miniature; and the master computers Bharat and Antarikshak. A very underrated sci-fi in need of a reboot.
Dara
I remember picking up an old Indrajal comic. After the tremendous success of Bahadur , new Indian characters were introduced. I came across this comic titled Dara. A crime story with shades of James Bond sans the hi-tech gadgets and gizmos. I liked the character. With simple and subtle stories and a likeable lead, Dara has the potential of being rebooted as a good crime/noir comic.