B’wood gets graphic, but who’s reading?

Aamir Khan effortlessly jumps across high-storey buildings to escape the police giving him chase. As he gets into combat mode, he punches, kicks and escapes the cops with ease. However, this is no film. And movie fans can hold on to these thrilling and action-packed images as long as they like. After all, it’s all in the comic strips inspired by the upcoming film Dhoom 3.

Welcome to the Bollywood world of comics. Characters from films that people already know and love are finding new lease of life in comic strips or graphic novels. Though this has been a successful formula in Hollywood, back home Bollywood hasn’t quite got it right yet and been unable to cash in on the popularity of its movie counterpart, agrees Rahul Dixit from Penguin.

“Many films have released comic strips for promotional purposes but none of these comics have been a major success. Though Krrish had a good chance and managed to gain some popularity, it still could not create the kind of wave you would expect from a superhero comic book,” says Rahul.

The reason behind this is the nascent market for comics, says Deepa Menon from PVR Cinemas. Sometime back comic books of Saif Ali Khan in his spy avatar of Agent Vinod had hit the bookshelves; Shah Rukh Khan was seen in  Don: The Origin, a graphic novel that traced the journey of his character; Abhay Deol and Genelia D’Souza’s zombie flick Rock The Shaadi was turned into the graphic novel Zombie Talkies: Bloodfest In Bollywood. The latest to join the list are R… Rajkumar, Bullett Raja, Grand Masti, Krrish and Dhoom 3.

The film industry has touched a new level of marketing with constant experimenting with innovative ideas. With the introduction of 3D films and comics, the entire movie experience is improving, says Deepa. “Comic strips are all about the experience. We have made comic strips based on many films, including upcoming Dhoom 3, available at PVR Cinemas. We are trying to create a space for comics. People can come to the cinema, watch the movie and also read these comics. Though these are yet to pick up, we are hopeful that comic strips will soon gain popularity,” she says.

Priya Kapoor, editor director of Roli Books, believes comics have a very niche market. “We have just recently ventured into the comics market. Contrary to prevailing belief, comics do not target only children but are an interesting format that interest various demographics. With beautiful illustrations and action sequences, they attract readers from all the different types of people,” says Priya in conclusion.