PRIYA’S SHAKTI

Priya’s Shakti honored by UN Women as “Gender Equality Champion”.

The idea to create “Priya’s Shakti” comic book series came after the horrible gang rape that happened on a bus in New Delhi in 2012. There was an enormous outcry in particular from young adults and teenagers —both women and men. Many people felt a cultural shift has to happen especially views towards the role of women in modern society. Deep-rooted patriarchal views needed to be challenged. As a result, we created a new Indian “superhero” – Priya, who is a rape survivor and through the power of persuasion she is able to motivate people to change. WEBSITE: https://www.priyashakti.com

This first story was specifically constructed to address the problem of blaming victims of sexual violence and provided a character, Priya, who could inspire change throughout communities by appealing to audiences — especially youth — with an empathetic narrative. Priya’s story became a powerful voice a in the global movement for women’s rights and a symbol of solidarity against gender-based violence and continuing with the #MeToo movement. The creators of the comic book were honored by UN Women as “gender equality champions.”

“She is the Brown girl superhero the world needs right now.” THE WASHINGTON POST

The first edition, “Priya’s Shakti” was initially funded by the Tribeca Film Institute, Ms. Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, and the comic book launched at the Mumbai Comic and Film Convention in December 2014. “It was the most anticipated comic book release of the event.” — Mumbai Week. The comic book and character became an immediate hit and went viral with over 1000 news stories worldwide and over 500,000 digital downloads and over 30,000 printed copies distributed in schools, NGOs, festivals, and comic book conventions. The success of the first chapter lead to the second edition, “Priya’s Mirror,” which was the first comic book to be funded by the World Bank, and premiered with an augmented reality exhibition at Lincoln Center at the New York Film Festival in October 2016. Priya returned wielding her power to defend survivors of acid attacks and was written in collaboration with these heroic women who became characters in the comic book. The comic book went viral again with major features on BBC, a full program on Al-Jazeera, and the cover of Newsweek (ME), and was named by Fast Company as one of the top creative projects of 2017. Priya and her powerful message has reached over 26 million people worldwide through multiple platforms, books, and exhibitions. The third edition of the series focuses on sex trafficking— “Priya and the Lost Girls,” and recently released “Priya’s Mask” which addresses the covid-19 pandemic.

Augmented Reality Comic Books & Art. Central to the project is an augmented reality (AR) comic book & exhibition – the first of its kind with international outreach and social engagement. This project helped define the new frontier of integrating literary publications & exhibitions with AR technology. “Priya’s Shakti is the first Indian comic book of its kind — not only confronting teenagers with the sensitive issue of sexual violence, but also engaging young people through its innovative use of augmented reality technology.” — Reuters

MOTIVATIONS. Gender-based sexual violence (GBV) in India and around the world is deeply rooted in patriarchal views. The World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion women worldwide, have or will experience either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. A lot of gender-based violence is not reported due to fear and shame. Through Priya’s Shakti message, this project can reach wide audiences in India and around the world–anywhere GBV is an issue. The comic book shatters the taboos around gender based violence through art, education, and a strong identifiable female character who is a rape survivor and superhero.

The power of the comic book series is that it presents very difficult topics in a very approachable and empathetic way. Readers can relate with the characters and story, and especially the main character – Priya, and understand. Creating a female superhero and using the genre of “superheroes” provides readers with a familiarity and accessibility to the comic book and these complex problems.

There is a new weapon in the battle to prevent violence against women in India — a comic book. — The Wall Street Journal

Priya and the Lost Girls (Chapter 3)

Priya continues her adventures with her flying tiger, Sahas. She returns home and discovers all the young women have disappeared in her rural village including her sister, Laxmi. She learns they were taken to an underground brothel city called Rahu, which is ruled by a demon who gets his power through fear and entrapment of women.

Priya’s Shakti (Chapter 1)

A new superhero has arisen in India in the wake of the brutal gang rape on a Delhi bus two years ago: Priya, a mortal woman who is raped herself, but who fights back against sexual violence with the help of the goddess Parvati – and a tiger. – The Guardian

Priya’s Mirror (Chapter 2)

Priya joins forces with a group of acid attack survivors as they fight against the demon-king, Ahankar, and his tyrannical hold on them. Funded by the World Bank, the comic books focuses on acid attacks and tackles the problem of gender violence around the world.

Priya’s Mask (Chapter 4)

PRIYA embarks on a mission to stop the spread of Covid-19. She befriends a little girl named Meena to show her the sacrifices made by frontline healthcare workers and instill the power of courage and compassion during this difficult time. She teams up with Pakistan’s female superhero, BURKA AVENGER, to foil her arch enemy from infecting her city with the potent virus. The short animated film, PRIYA’S MASK, is an important testament to the courage of women healthcare workers and will help educate people about the virus. An international array of actors and leaders lend their voices to this important film including Vidya Balan, Mrunal Thakur, and Sairah Kabir.