26/11 Superhero

Out tomorrow: Comic on terror attack with Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan as the star

     

Posted On Saturday, August 14, 2010 at 02:57:28 AM

The heroics of 26/11 martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan have been etched in history. But this Independence Day, his courage can be saluted through the pages of a comic book. Gurgaon-based Aditya Bakshi, an officer in the Merchant Navy, will release Braveheart of Mumbai, a 52-page comic that details Unnikrishnan's valour while fighting Ajmal Qasab’s associates in the Taj hotel on that chaotic evening two years ago. The book not only chronicles the sequence of events that culminated in Major Unnikrishan’s tragic death, it also brings out little-known facets about his personality and personal life. “Did you know that Major Unnikrishnan had a premonition about his death?  He had told a few of his friends some days before the fateful day that the nation would remember the way he died,” says Bakshi, who worked on this project when he was on a break from his job. The book, third in Bakshi’s series of Indian War Comics, is an attempt to create awareness about real-life heroes among children who are fed on an unending diet of TV, computer and video games. “I simply want to  create positive role models. If kids know about these heroes, who knows they might be even tempted to emulate them in their lives,” he says.  Collecting information from the available literature on 26/11 online, in books and media reports, Bakshi also contacted Major Unnikrishnan’s father, K Unnikrishnan, and his NSG colleagues for additional inputs. He then conceptualised the series and worked on the story board while Manipuri artist Sony Thakcham did the sketches and Dipak Prajapati did the colours. When contacted, Sandeep’s father K Unnikrishnan said, “How can you honour his life of a martyr when politicians such as R R Patil and Vilasrao Deshmukh have been reinstated in the government? I met Aditya Bakshi in Gurgaon and we spoke for a few hours about his project. He is very dedicated and gave me a questionnaire to fill in on details on Sandeep’s life.” The comic, priced at Rs 85, will be released in Delhi on August 15 by General Sharma, brother of Major Somnath Sharma, who was awarded the first Paramvir Chakra, and Major Unnikrishnan’s family.  However, Bakshi doesn’t want to merely bring out a comic book that would be read by a few thousands. He is in talks with schools such as Delhi Public School, Noida, to hold workshops for children to spread the message. Plans are also afoot to bring out a similar series in Hindi for the small towns and rural areas. Author Aditya Bakshi His first attempt to immortalise war heroes through comics had come about in 2008, when he brought out Yeh Dil Maange More on the late Kargil war hero Capt Vikram Batra. The book sold about 10,000 copies. Spurred by the response, he then released True Maratha, an account of Col N J Nair, an Ashok Chakra awardee who led an attack against Naga militants.  That he comes from a defence background has worked in his favour. With his father, retired General G B Bakshi, providing support and a wealth of information about the armed forces, the 31-year-old who initially took up the projects as a medium to give vent to his artistic inclinations, soon got into it with gusto. “I was extremely moved and inspired when I heard stories about these men. Hence, though we initially wanted to make it more commercial, now the main aim is to create awareness,” says Bakshi, who has self-published all the books.    In fact, through the three books, he has covered the Kargil War, the North East insurgency and the 26/11 terror attacks – “three major conflicts of our times that kids ought to know about.” Next on the anvil is a project about Capt Bana Singh, who fought in Siachen. “We would love to reach out to the maximum number of children. But as of now, we have very limited means. Generally comics are about mythological figures. It’s high time men from the armed forces who show exemplary courage get due respect.”