India’s first female animated superhero returns

Rosanna Arquette, Vidya Balan, Mrunal Thakur, and Sairah Kabir come together as voice-over actors in the project

Superhero Priya, who came into existence in 2014 following the brutal Delhi gang rape, has returned in a new comic titled ‘Priya’s Mask’.

Brainchild of Indian-American filmmaker Ram Devineni, Priya was born as a reaction to the general apathy towards rape. The character became India’s first female comic book superhero.

Priya's Shakti was honoured by UN Women as “Gender Equality Champion”. In the new series, the character tackles the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project was funded through a grant from the North India Office (NIO) of the US Embassy in New Delhi, in coordination with the Regional English Language Office (RELO), as part of the US-India cooperation to combat the pandemic.

Released as an augmented reality comic book, it is paired with an animated short film featuring the voices of Rosanna Arquette, Vidya Balan, Mrunal Thakur, and Sairah Kabir.

The comic book and film were released worldwide on December 2 and premiered at the Global Health Film Festival in London.

Set against the backdrop of Jodhpur, the plot follows Priya befriending eight-year-old Meena to show her the importance of frontline healthcare workers and instilling courage and compassion in her.

With her flying tiger, Sahas, Priya explains the importance of wearing a mask and working together to end the pandemic.

This instalment will also present a debut alliance between Priya and Pakistan’s Burka Avenger.

The comic book series is available as a free download on www.priyashakti.com.