Vishwajyoti Ghosh’s graphic novel Delhi Calm, is a simple but extraordinary piece of work that shakes us out of our collective oblivion. The book mocks our apathy towards the world outside us, by ruminating the darkest days of independent India’s history – the Emergency – which most of us tend to feign never happened. An illustrated narrative, Ghosh’s debut novel is part fiction and part history.

Curiously, the novel begins by stating that any resemblance to the living or the dead is coincidental and self-censored. But this feeble claim falls by the wayside as the novel takes us through the lives of three idealistic men, Parvez Alam, Vivek Kumar and Vibhuti Prasad who long for change. The 1970s was a time when democracy was ruled with an iron fist. Change was in the air, when the Prophet (JP), a man of high moral authority, began ‘total revolution’. And the three men set on their sail to see the change they dreamt of to bring forth an egalitarian, socialist democracy. A music band called 'Naya Savera Band' takes the message of revolution and change to the villages, garnering support for the prophet and it happened to be an ideal platform for the three. But soon the three drift apart only to regroup when Vibhuti Prasad moves on to Powerpolis (Delhi) and into the thick of the happenings, in the middle of biggest civil crisis ever to grip the nation.

The sepia strewn panels of the graphic novel unravel the rise and fall of Mrs Moon (Indira Gandhi) and her two sons, the Pilot and the Prince. Ghosh beautifully narrates Mrs Moon’s penchant for power and how one of her sons takes on the sterilisation programme to control birth rates at a time when ‘India is Moon, Moon is India’ (does this parody slogan ring a bell?). In the guise of nation building, Mrs Moon suspends the fundamental rights of people by asking them to talk less, work more and to shut up. Moon almost succeeds, her son Prince pulling the strings from behind the curtains, making people believe the code of discipline forced upon them would change the nation for the better! It’s in this maze of affairs that the three young revolutionaries under the tutelage of the Prophet take on the mighty state.

Revisiting a dark era is like unravelling a mystery. Ghosh’s brown strokes do the same in the novel. The imagery of the ideologically loaded characters gives us a sense of reliving a past we long forgot. Also, Ghosh brings in some surreal imagery like ‘smiling saviours’, shown as propagandists committed to ensuring a healthy, smiling nation, and hot air balloons -- all adding to the mystery of that dark period -- a deep darker one. From the matchboxes to the radio sets, to the advertisements in the novel bear the mark of the time of the 1970s India. And as the novel ends, a panel in which a sign board reads, “Welcome to Delhi, but not talk about 1) Emergency 2) 1984 Delhi riots 3) Babri (Masjid) demolition, Gujrat riots...”. Ghosh’s rendering of the cityscapes of Delhi is a remarkable work. Delhi Calm stands out with its excellent caricature and prose.

This book is among the first in the yet-to-be-explored world of graphic novel genre in India. Through his brilliant narration and creative streak, Ghosh brings in a fresh breath of air proclaiming Indian graphic novelists are as best as the world players. One hopes it sets a standard to all upcoming graphic novel projects in Ind