Young Indians and their exciting love affair with mythology
Legendary countercultural comic book writer Grant Morrison, when asked what drew him to the Mahabharata that led to the surreal 18 Days, replied succinctly, ‘Because it’s still kind of part of a living tradition.’
With that, the Scottish master of non-linear comic narratives answered the classic question — why do these age-old stories never stop being relevant?
Adi Parva — The beginning of the brotherhood of Indian mythology and comics
Flowing from the wrinkled faces of our grandparents, mythological stories have found their place almost everywhere in the country.
Subconsciously, they determined the lifestyle and behaviour of a generation of Indians. However, their present-day appearance in comics and graphic novels can be traced back to the alluring Amar Chitra Katha’s first issue. The collection of immortally captivating stories, created by a team led by Anant Pai, began with the story of Krishna in 1967, and continues its glorious attempt at teaching Indian children about their own cultural heritage.
So, why do the stories of Indian mythology make for a great source of inspiration for every medium of pop culture? The epic canvas, layered storylines, well-developed characters and a philosophical interpretation to every event make mythology — that’s what makes it the perfect cocktail for the thinking millennial.
In fact, the domain of mythology still has so many unexplored branches that it continues to feed thousands of creators, trying to adapt them to more contemporary settings or, at times, completely creating a new world around them.
For instance, acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur’s Devi series with Virgin comics, Aghori by Holy Cow Entertainment or Ramayan 3392 AD by Shamik Dasgupta are great attempts at reimagining these immortal stories.
Udyog Parva — Recognition of Indian writers’ efforts, thanks to a renewed interest in mythology
But why was this re-imagination attempted in the first place? Wasn’t mythology always an inseparable part of every Indian?
Initially, yes.
However, somewhere between the early 70s to the LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) era of the 90s, with mass urban migration and growing Westernisation, we lost touch with these stories.
Through the years, the stories of our land continued to survive, like an unkempt, abandoned garden. Until the razor-sharp tools of modern graphics, incisive writing and great presentation trimmed them to shape.
And, in the process of this trimming, some unknown gems by Indian writers were also discovered. Shamik Dasgupta’s thrilling Taranath Tantrik: TnT City of Sorrows brought the spotlight on a great character created by Bibhutibhushon Banerjee, the writer of Pather Panchali, later developed by his son Taradash. Taranath is a psychic investigator with a dark past full of supernatural experiences, and without the modern, edgy presentation that led to its growing fame today, the character would have died a quiet death in the dark, suburban lanes of Kolkata.
Svargarohana Parva — The continued rise of mythological stories
The mammoth success of epic stories such as Baahubali or the presence of mythological concepts in acclaimed web-series such as Sacred Games shows that content created around mythological stories is here to stay.
The genre is familiar to almost everyone, which makes contemporary adaptations all the more alluring. Moreover, the global appeal and individual impact of the underlying seed concepts and metaphors in mythical stories make them a smart investment for every content creator.
To go back to Grant Morrison, the idea behind the Bhagavad Gita or the entire Mahabharata is not just at the heart of Hinduism but forms the core of all contemplative thought in all of the world’s traditions.
Working through the massive tapestry of Indian mythological stories offers a great number of surprises and breakthroughs for the creator as well as the consumer, giving them a great high when they finally get it. In fact, as the world moves towards a completely immersive, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality-based form of entertainment, such multi-dimensional stories will be much more in focus. Everyone plays their own version of the battle in their heads, faces the dilemma of particular characters, and completes great journeys through the perspectives of heroes that they grew up with.
These stories could be enjoyed as an exciting fantasy epic or a spiritual adventure on a surface level, and in more pensive moments, they offer a maze of symbolism, analogies and extra levels of depth.
For the millennial then, who loves to debate Wittgenstein and existentialism while having a great time, Indian mythology is a heady drug they cannot consume enough of!