CHENNAI: When Anchal Bansal was pregnant with her first child, she used to listen to the Hanuman Chalisa to derive strength and realised that chanting it had a soothing and calming effect on her. She always knew that she wanted her child to have a strong foundation, like her parents had given her. This led her to illustrate and translate the Hangman Chalisa in her book — ‘Tales of Hannu The Monkey God – Hanuman Chalisa for Children,’ which launched on Tuesday.
The book was launched by the Duchess Club at Focus Art Gallery by Mayur Shah, director of Focus Art Gallery, and Nina Reddy, president of the Duchess Club, in the presence of other members.
“We hear children speak so fondly of Batman and Superman and other Western superheroes but here we have our very own, home-grown superhero — Hannu man! I wanted my child to learn about the Monkey God in a fun and interesting way, as well as what the chant meant. I wanted the book to be interactive, which is why there are a lot of puzzles and colouring exercises interspersed with the illustrations and translation of the Chalisa,” she said.
It took Anchal, an artist and illustrator, almost three years to complete the book. As an illustrator, she had to let go of a lot of projects and dedicate all her attention to her book. “I had set a deadline for myself that before I have my next child, I must complete the book,” she said. “I have managed to do that and it has been a very fulfilling journey. I’m also glad that the book is complete before the festive season.” Anchal said her biggest critic was her husband who constantly pushed her to strive for excellence while supporting her.