<p>A heroic rape survivor who receives her powers from Hindu goddess Parvati is at the centre of a comic book launched in Delhi on the second anniversary of the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The interactive “augmented reality” comic called Priya Shakti, created by two New-York based artists and an India poet-playwright, has been published by the literary publishing house Rattapallax.<br /><br />“It is an augmented reality comic book which uses a popular app to make animation, videos and other interactive elements pop out of its pages,” Ram Devineni, co-creator of the comic book – available both digitally and in print, said. <br /><br />He along with poet-playwright Vikas K Menon scripted personal stories of women who have experienced gender-based violence while protecting their identities.<br /><br />Funded by Tribeca Film Institute’s New Media Fund and supported by the Ford Foundation, the book is part of a larger multimedia project by the same name (www.priyashakti.com), which includes workshops, street art, documentary films and augmented reality initiatives through apps.<br /><br />The newly lunched comic tells 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.<br /><br />The Indian American filmmaker told Deccan Herald that the idea for the comic book came to him in December 2012 as street protests erupted after the rape of a physiotherapy student in a moving bus.<br /><br />"I was in Delhi at the time and I was part of some of the protests," he said. After mooting the idea, he, Devineni and his crew interviewed rape survivors across India to create a singular narrative. <br /><br />Inspiration for the comic book has also come in parts from the popular 1970’s comic-book series by Amar Chitra Katha that features tales of Hindu gods. <br /><br />“Hindu gods and their moral tales have a more universal appeal. They are part of India’s collective consciousness,” the New York-based graphic artist and co-creator of the book Dan Goldman said. “We have tried to tell the story without altering mythological figures of gods.”</p>
<p>A heroic rape survivor who receives her powers from Hindu goddess Parvati is at the centre of a comic book launched in Delhi on the second anniversary of the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The interactive “augmented reality” comic called Priya Shakti, created by two New-York based artists and an India poet-playwright, has been published by the literary publishing house Rattapallax.<br /><br />“It is an augmented reality comic book which uses a popular app to make animation, videos and other interactive elements pop out of its pages,” Ram Devineni, co-creator of the comic book – available both digitally and in print, said. <br /><br />He along with poet-playwright Vikas K Menon scripted personal stories of women who have experienced gender-based violence while protecting their identities.<br /><br />Funded by Tribeca Film Institute’s New Media Fund and supported by the Ford Foundation, the book is part of a larger multimedia project by the same name (www.priyashakti.com), which includes workshops, street art, documentary films and augmented reality initiatives through apps.<br /><br />The newly lunched comic tells 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.<br /><br />The Indian American filmmaker told Deccan Herald that the idea for the comic book came to him in December 2012 as street protests erupted after the rape of a physiotherapy student in a moving bus.<br /><br />"I was in Delhi at the time and I was part of some of the protests," he said. After mooting the idea, he, Devineni and his crew interviewed rape survivors across India to create a singular narrative. <br /><br />Inspiration for the comic book has also come in parts from the popular 1970’s comic-book series by Amar Chitra Katha that features tales of Hindu gods. <br /><br />“Hindu gods and their moral tales have a more universal appeal. They are part of India’s collective consciousness,” the New York-based graphic artist and co-creator of the book Dan Goldman said. “We have tried to tell the story without altering mythological figures of gods.”</p>
