Author Vibha Batra was gung-ho about writing a graphic novel for young adults till she got down to brass tacks.
“It all started two-and-a-half years ago, when my editor asked if I would be interested in writing a graphic novel. Growing up reading Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle and Mandrake the Magician , I enjoyed the process of revisiting these books (for research of course), and eventually decided to get down to it,” laughs Vibha.
“I soon realised I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I came up with a story easily enough, but to format it in a way suitable for a graphic novel took a couple of attempts,” she says.
It was only when the story of The Secret Life of Debbie G was locked in and she met illustrator Kalyani Ganapathy, that Vibha understood first hand, the work that goes into the making of a graphic novel. “Beat sheets and panels were all part of the learning process for me,” says the author of 16 novels.
“I knew I wanted to write something contemporary and it was to be for children. I realised while going through social media that people thrive on the ‘likes’ they get. And I wondered how far would a teenager go to get those likes and followers. Would they lose sight of themselves? And if they actually crossed over to the dark side, what would happen then?”
Arya, the 16-year-old protagonist, has been drawn from Vibha’s experiences. “Arya is a smart, savvy and sassy teen with a good heart, but she makes a few bad choices. I want to tell my readers that it is all right to make mistakes, but it is not okay to justify them or not learn from them.”
Vibha says The Secret Life of Debbie G is a love note to her 16-year-old self, who was fat shamed too. “I wish I could tell her, ‘Life is going to be tough but you are going to be okay’.”
As a Punjabi, born in Kolkata and living in Chennai, Vibha brings out a pan-Indian vibe to her graphic novel and touches on very real issues like bullying, the North-South debate, different parenting methods, marriage after a divorce and the need to conform.
“We need to stop discriminating against people. There is enough going on to worry about, from this virus to corrupt politicians, without turning against each other over the colour of one’s skin or who you choose to love.”
Vibha says she wanted to champion some issues “without being preachy about it”. “If my book, can make someone pause and think about what it is like to be in the shoes of a person on the receiving end, I’d be happy.”
Arya, her family and her friends, come to life with broad, bold, crayon-like strokes interspersed with social media screen grabs, executed by illustrator Kalyani Ganapathy.
The Secret Life of Debbie G is published by Harper Collins Children’s Books.
