Synopsis

Chitrakatha: Indian Comics Beyond Balloons and Panels  

From imported syndicated strips to the advent of original home grown comic book heroes, the journey of Indian comics is as vibrant and entertaining as the colorful imagery created inside the pages of comic books.

Chitrakatha: Indian Comics Beyond Balloons and Panels explores the largely untouched subject of Indian Comics as a serious art form. It covers the history, evolution, cultural - social significance as well as the future of Indian comics, through a series of conversational interviews with the Comic Book Creators. Chitrakatha tells the fascinating story of Indian Comics’ unsung heroes: The creators. The struggle, the pain and the vision that went behind some of the most cherished Indian comic book characters.

Researched for over 5 years and shot across India, Chitrakatha is written, directed and produced by self-confessed life long comic book buff, addict and artist Alok Sharma.

Chitrakatha features three generations of Comic Book Artists discussing the medium, the passion and the idea that went behind these comic books which cut across the lingual boundaries and are fondly remembered by millions of fans.

It also throws light on how Comics in India have very efficiently commented on contemporary social issues as well as proved to be a very effective educational tool.

For instance, Comics like the Bahadur series in the 70s efficiently commented on contemporary dacoit issue faced by Central India, while vigilante Doga addresses day to day problems faced by the common man today. Comics like Amar Chitra Katha have distinguished themselves as a very effective and entertaining educational tool by retelling the Indian literary classics and history in sequential art form.

This is a story of people who passionately created a world inhibited with dozens of imaginary friends to make generations of Indian kids dream.