From victim to superhero

The gruesome New Delhi rape of December 16, 2012,  is still etched in our memories. Now, using the power of a comic book to sensitise people’s perception, Indian-American filmmaker Ram Devineni, one of the creators of Priya’s Shakti, has turned a rape survivor into a “superhero” to address the problem of sexual violence in India.

Priya’s Shakti tells the story of a young woman Priya, a gang-rape survivor, who vanquishes her enemies with the help of goddess Parvati as they fight against gender crimes in India.Talking about why he merged a real life incident and mythology, Ram Devineni says, “In Hindu mythology, I discovered the many rich stories involving regular people and the gods. Often a disciple would call on the gods for help during dire situations.

So, I began formulating a new mythological tale where a mortal woman and rape survivor would seek help from the Goddess Parvati  only after she had nowhere else to turn. I wanted to create a new Indian ‘superhero’  Priya, who is a rape survivor and through the power of persuasion she is able to motivate people to change. In my opinion, the core essence of Hinduism is conquering your fears. In the story, Priya confronts the tiger that has been stalking her. She turns her fear (the tiger) into her power  her shakti. Lastly, all mythological tales are about a hero overcoming obstacles to discover their role in the universe, and at the essence this is Priya’s journey. Also mythology is the story of us.”

Ram was in Delhi when the rape incident occurred and he also joined the protests that followed. “Her struggles entered the national consciousness and definitely mine. She certainly was a motivating factor in creating Priya. Priya is like most teenagers  she is trying to discover her role in the society and the world, and suddenly she faces a horrible incident  being raped  which derails her life. But she overcomes her fears and motivates her community,” he says.

Illustrator and comics creator Abhijeet Kini calls this a bold step by the creators and says it’s time we change the way we look at a rape survivor. “Using comic as a medium to convey an intense and serious message like this is an interesting move. People normally avoid talking about such sensitive topics in their social conversations. But having said that  I am very keen to see the way the creators have treated this sensitive topic as it can’t and shouldn’t go wrong. But it’s a bold step because people need to be educated about what goes through the mind of a woman who goes through this trauma. It’s high time we become responsible.”