CHENNAI: “Priya’s Mask”, the newest edition of a series featuring India’s first female comic book superhero which tackles the fear and disinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, has been launched by the US Consulate General in Chennai in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam online versions.
Created by US-based media house Rattapallax founder, documentary filmmaker, and technologist Ram Devineni and written by Shubhra Prakash with support from the North India Office (NIO) of the US Embassy in New Delhi, the series tells the story of Priya’s mission to stop the spread of COVID-19 disinformation, while acknowledging the isolation and fear that children can face.
Released as an augmented reality comic book, the installment is paired with an animated short film featuring the voices of feminist leaders from the US and India, including Rosanna Arquette, Vidya Balan, Mrunal Thakur and Sairah Kabir.
US Consulate General Chennai’s spokesperson Cori Bickel said: “This comic book is another example of the deep talents of Americans and Indians working together to confront global health challenges. Ram Devineni has created a comic book, now available for parents, teachers, and children to read in Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam languages.”
Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam language versions of “Priya’s Mask” are available for free download at https://www.priyashakti.com/priyas-mask. A free English language teaching curriculum developed by the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office (RELO) is available for educators and students at https://www.priyashakti.com/curriculum, a release said.