Changing Women Portrayal in Society with Augmented Reality Comics

December 2012 Delhi gang rape shook many. Many got angry, many protested. Ram Devineni had also joined the protest with hundreds of young and old. Days and years passed and people forgot India's daughter. But Mr.Devineni voiced his protest and from there 'Priyas Shakti' took birth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQgXsqrn2XM

Video courtesy: Rattapallax

Film- maker, Ram Devineni with film-maker Paromita Vohra and artist Dan Goldman idealized 'Priya Shakti'. The comic, conceptualized from real life incidents and potrais a parallel picture of Indian women.

The comic aims to break the patriarchy by targeting the young generation of India.

Priya’s Shakti tells a story of a rural woman who is gang-raped and consequently shamed by her family and community. After praying to the Hindu goddess Parvati, Priya gains the strength, or “shakti”, to fight sex crimes, and flies around India on a tiger, helping other victims to win justice.

In the sequel, Priya’s Mirror, the superhero holds up a mirror as she convinces acid-attack survivors that there is more to them than their scars, and that they need not hide. The comic is inspired by Laxmi, an Indian acid-attack survivor and social activist.

Interview with Priya Shakti's founder 'Ram Devineni'

Q. What inspired you to come up with “Priya Shakti’?

Ram Devineni: I was in Delhi when the horrible gang rape happened on the bus in 2012, and was involved the protests that soon followed. Like many people, I was horrified by what had happened and angered by the indifference exhibited by government authorities at every level. I had spoken to a Delhi police officer and asked him for his opinion on what had happened on the bus. Oficer’s response was “no good girl walks home at night.” That is when I understood that the problem of sexual violence in India is not legal but cultural.

Q. Why your characters are inspired from Hindu mythology tales?

Ram Devineni: I began researching Hindu mythology and discovered the many rich stories involving regular people and the gods. Often a favorite 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. Eventually it is up to her to challenge people’s perceptions. 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. At the core of Hinduism, it is about conquering fears, which is what Priya does and motivates others in both comic books.

Q. Why do you target teenagers specifically as an audience for your comic?

Ram Devineni: Patriarchy and ignorance is passed from one generation to the next, so we need to address it to the teenagers. They are at a critical age where they are learning about relationships, discovering their own identity and developing their opinions of each other. So, this comic book series is a powerful tool to talk about gender issues. The goal of the comic book series and our partnership with the World Bank is to reach teenagers.

Q. How do you think will this help in eradicating social taboos?

Ram Devineni: I selected the comic book format because I grew up reading Amar Chitra Katha comic books and was hugely influenced by them. Comics are an important part of our culture, and hugely popular with teenagers and young.  Now, comic books have entered the commerical mainstream. Every summer, Hollywood releases huge budget blockbuster films based on comic book characters to enormous box office returns. Comic books characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have become modern mythological icons. We are using existing constructs that are familiar to everyone in India, but presenting them in a fresh and original way.

Q. How do you measure the impact made by your comics?

Ram Devineni:  Impact is hard to measure especially when you are trying to create a cultural shift. By creating a comic book for teenagers with a strong female character is part of this cultural shift. Alternative narratives need to be told, and boys need to see strong women characters in their stories and lives. Also, we cannot demonize or degrade men and boys – they need to feel a part of the solution because gender-based violence is not just a women’s issue – it is everyone’s struggle. We are working with the Lion’s Club on India to distribute the comic book in a dozen schools in Delhi. We hope this will be the beginning, and schools will use the comic book discuss gender-based violence issues and women’s rights.

Q. How Street art paintings act like augmented reality?

Ram Devineni: Augmented reality is a major part of our comic book, and by scanning the comic book with the popular augmented reality APP – Blippar, you can view animation, real-life stories, and other interactive elements pop-out of the pages. The image can be mounted on wall, printed in a comic book, on your computer screen, or even on a large mural on the side of a building – and the AR will still work. Our comic book is one of the first publications to use augmented reality in India. We have created large street murals in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi which are augmented reality.

Q. What are your future plans?

Ram Devineni:  The next chapter, “Priya and the Last Girls” which is about sex trafficking and we are working with Apne Aap Women Worldwide to develop the story. Dan Goldman have interviewed exploited women in the red light areas of Kolkata. The story will be co-written with Emmy award winner and advocate and founder of Apne Aap – Ruchira Gupta. The research is funded by the Jerome Foundation and we hope to release it in a year.