Comic Capers

“Pushpak Viman tells the story of a mythological demon Ashwathaama,the son of Drona. He dared to use the Brahma-Astra and was cursed by Lord Krishna to roam the earth as a leper without salvation,” he says. Ashwathaama’s possibility of finding salvation lay in finding a lost heavenly vehicle called the Pushpak Viman. A story of a man forgotten with time,it had always fascinated Babbar,especially since he did a play with his mother Nadira Babbar’s group,Ekjute. “It was a play by Dharam Veer Bharti called Andhayudh,written from Ashwathaama’s perspective,reasoning his anger and frustration,” says Babbar.

“In the book,five individuals from all over the world get together and go on an archaeological expedition in search of the Viman,unaware of Ashwathaama’s hunt for it too,” he adds. The characters,he poinst out,are a resurrection of the Pandavas and the protectors of the Viman. The action unfolds in parallel universes,with Babbar planning to cover seven dimensions of time in 12 separate volumes.

Karan Vir Arora,editor-in-chief of Vimanika Comics that is bringing out the book,says the 21st century is a time of graphic novels,the latter likely to become a Rs 300 crore-market in India within the next five years. Arora and Babbar are also planning a film on the novel. “Graphic novels are readymade storyboards with complete description of the visuals,” says Babbar. “There’s also an untitled Indo-German production,a film by Prashant Chadha on the Ebola virus where I play an Afghan Punjabi,” he says. “There is also Ready by Anees Bazmi where I play a negative character sporting two different looks. Also,there’s Kabir Kaudhik’s Maximum,a cop drama with Irrfan. I am also interested in making a film on the Punjabi mafia in Canada and USA.”

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