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ABSTRACT
This article discusses Vikram Balagopal’s mythological Indian graphic narrative Simian (2014), which is a retelling of particular episodes from the Ramayana from Hanuman’s point of view. The essay claims that Balagopal’s portrayal of Hanuman as a gelada baboon strips him of devotional/religious signifiers and allows readers to see him as a secular figure. The graphic narrative portrays this popular Hindu god as a heavily psychologised figure grappling with the ramifications of his special abilities, and questioning his liminal identity in the face of derogatory classifications by human beings. This representation is in opposition to the co-optation of Hanuman as a hyper-masculine warrior by an aggressive, resurgent Hindu nationalist movement. Simian also uses a reflective Hanuman to critique Ramayana’s anthropocentricism and gender and caste biases. It thus places itself into a long tradition of interrogative and subversive retellings of the Ramayana.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. I follow Hillary Chute and Charles Hatfield in their use of the term ‘graphic narrative’ instead of ‘graphic novel.’ Chute argues that since many of the works grouped under this umbrella are not novels at all, the term ‘graphic novel’ is often a misnomer (Citation2008, 453).
2. There has also been a resurgence of the mythological genre in the Indian English fiction scene. See Emma Dawson Varughese’s Genre Fiction of New India (Citation2016).
3. Vanara is one of the most common Sanksrit words for ‘monkey’ and the vanaras of the Valmiki Ramyana are evidently of many species, some of which are described (in terms of fur colour, etc,) in considerable detail.
4. A Sanskrit term meaning ‘monkeyhood.’
5. The gelada baboon, sometimes called the bleeding heart monkey, is the most terrestrial primate besides humans, and is the only grass-grazing monkey in the world. While restricted at present to Ethiopia, fossils indicated that the monkey once existed in India, among other regions.
6. This movement was geared to reclaiming what Hindu nationalists believe was Rama’s birthplace in Ayodhya, on which a mosque had been built. The Hindu nationalists succeeded in destroying the mosque. The resulting religious riots led to the loss of scores of lives, especially those of Muslims.
7. Ravana, the rakshasa king of Lanka, is Rama’s antagonist in the Ramayana; he kidnaps Rama’s wife, Sita, and refuses to return her to Rama.
8. Aam is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘yes.’
9. The name ‘Hanuman’ was given to him after he broke his jaw as a child (‘hanu’ means jaw). In Simian, he is often referred to by another name, Anjaneya, which refers to him being the son of Anjana.
10. For instance, Samhita Arni, in her recent English retelling The Missing Queen, reimagines Surpanakha as a revolutionary for Lanka Liberation Front, which is fighting for its independence from Ayodhya, while Drishana Kalita subversively reimagines Surpanakha as a modern woman who pities Sita for her submissive, wifely obedience, and is attacked by Lakshmana when trying to bond with Sita. Renowned Indian novelist Amit Chaudhury’s short story on Surpanakha’s mutilation highlights Rama’s and Lakshmana’s decision to attack her without any provocation, and their heartless mirth at her disfigurement. Among the varied Ramayanas in modern South Indian literature are some which rupture the hierarchy between humans and demons, “push[ing[us to view rakshasaas through multiple lenses (Richman (Citation2008) Ramayana Stories in Modern South India, 29). In one Tamil fable, Surpanakha cuts off Lakshman’s ears (Richman Citation2008, 181–186); a Telugu short story titled ‘Shurpanakha’s sorrow’ shows Rama and Lakshaman as male chauvinists who get away with the crime because of their political clout (Richman Citation2008, 187–193); and another Telugu short story shows Sita and Surpanakha developing a close, empathetic bond (Richman Citation2008, 91–98). Many of these retellings are subversive insofar as they give Surpanakha a radical voice to challenge and demean Rama and Lakshmana.
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Anuja Madan
Anuja Madan is Associate Professor in the English Department of Kansas State University where she teaches courses on postcolonial literature, children’s and young adult literature, and comics. Her primary research is on Indian children’s literature and comics, with a focus on adaptations of Hindu mythological narratives. Her other areas of interest include postcolonial and multiethnic children’s literature. A few of her articles have appeared in the anthologies The Routledge Companion to International Children’s Literature, Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults: A Collection of Critical Essays as well as the South Asian Review special issue on South Asian Graphic Narratives.