City gets its first graphic novel

Ask any youngster in the city what the essence of Hyderabad is and he/she will rattle off words like Charminar, biryani, Laad Bazaar, Irani chai, Necklace road et al. But quiz Vizag-born Jaideep Unudurti and Ludhiana-born Jasraman Singh on the same and they’ll give you an all-new perspective by taking you through memories, experiences and events that happened here decades ago through a graphic novel!

Titled The Hyderabad Graphic Novel, the city’s first graphic novel is an interesting project. “It is an attempt to capture the history of the city using sequential art as the medium. It’s based on the real-time experiences of old Hyderabadis, who helped us retell history,” says Jaideep, co-creator of the book. “We have no mention of the Charminar, pearls, and other clichés as Hyderabad is much more than that,” he adds.

Jasraman Singh, the writer of the novel, says, “History books do not have personal experiences that capture the spirit and essence of the city. For this we have created characters that breathe and smell Hyderabadi. For instance, an old Hyderabadi told us about the pain he felt when he saw 15 monuments being demolished over the decades. We hired Harsho, an artist from Kolkata to bring alive these stories.”

Interestingly, none of the creators is a Hyderabadi. “People may be surprised at our love for the city, but I’ve travelled around the world and have realised that there’s no place like Hyderabad. It’s a stunning, fascinating city and we want to share that magic with people,” says Jasraman, who adds that they will soon put up the comic strips on a dedicated website, apart from bringing the graphic novel with 120 pages, to local stands.