“As a young girl, Priya had been curious about the universe... She worked tirelessly towards her dream of being a teacher.” She is the teenage protagonist of Priya’s Shakti , an augmented reality-based comic that has been going viral online. Created by Ram Devineni and Dan Goldman, the comic is premiering at the Mumbai Film and Comics Convention later this week. The storyline and artwork have been inspired by ancient mythological tales, and tell the story of Priya — a mortal woman and gang-rape survivor — and the Goddess Parvati as they fight against gender-based sexual violence in India and around the world, supporting the movement against patriarchy, misogyny and indifference.
Originally from a town near Vijayawada, Ram made annual visits back to India and knew to some extent the state of affairs in the country. He was in India two years ago when the infamous Delhi rape happened. “It really shook me. I was part of some of the marches and candlelight vigils and I could feel that the people were demanding change.” The documentary filmmaker wanted to do something different to create awareness and urge people to stand up for women.
Ram spoke to several rape survivors, and found that each of their stories had a common theme — that of helplessness. “I realised how difficult it is for them to get justice and the stigma they face from even family. Often, they do not report crimes out of fear for their lives, or to avoid the backlash they may face. The burden of shame is placed on the victim and not on the perpetrators. Priya’s Shakti highlights the threat of sexual harassment and violence that women face on a daily basis unless deeply-rooted patriarchal norms are challenged. Priya is a new hero for a modern India.”
Dan Goldman, the digital illustrator, says that a lot of research went into the look of the characters. “I studied several depictions of deities in various styles in India, Indonesia and Thailand and fused them into artwork. Since the comic incorporates augmented reality, which offers more content in the form of videos, articles and the real life stories of rape survivors, this art really pops out,” he says. This extra content can be accessed by using the app Blippar.
The comic book is available free worldwide in every digital format and downloadable on the project’s website and at ComiXology, Apple’s iBooks, Amazon, and BitTorrent. The printed comics will be available at the comic book convention in Hindi and English, but eventually will be translated into other languages.
“This is only the first instalment of the series. We will be bringing more stories on Priya and her adventures with Goddess Parvati in the future,” says Ram.
