Imagine historic characters of Tamil classics — the feisty Kannagi, the magnanimous Kumanan who reigned supreme in Mudiramalai, and the swash-buckling adventures of Pratapan — springing to life in delightful comics.
Amar Chitra Katha will now have you cherishing the finer aspects of the celebrated epics with its five-in-one Tamil series that pays tribute to the regional literary tradition. Revisiting tales of yesteryear, the series has recreated the magic of regional prose in the abridged version. Since the epic plays were well-researched, written and illustrated by eminent scholars, the colourful illustrations critically reflect the grandeur of the Sangam period, the intricate costumes, the stunning architecture and the prevalent social hierarchy of century-old empires.
Spinning a colourful yarn, the series features the story of Jivaka adapted from the epic poem Jivaka Chintamani.
Similarly, the Kannagi inspired by Ilango Adigal’s Silappadikaram, touted as one of the five best epics of the Tamil language, makes for an exciting read.
Time travel is inevitable as you flip through the pages of Kumanan, the story of a king of the same name who ruled Mudiramalai (present day Coimbatore). Another story inspired by the 19th century play and the first play to be written in Tamil literature, Manonmaniyam by Sundaram Pillai, breathes life into the gripping adventures of the brave Manonmani.
Conjuring up the actionpacked drama, the artwork captures the essence of The Adventures of Pratapan, adapted from Vedanayakam Pillai’s path-breaking story, Pratapa Mudaliar Charitram, the first novel to be penned in Tamil.
The illustrations have been done in a realistic style by renowned artists Dilip Kadam and Souren Roy who worked with the late Anant Pai, founder-editor of Amar Chitra Katha. The ACK Tamil series is available in leading bookstores at `195.