In a quiet South Indian village, dusk hangs heavy over brown-muddy roofs and palm-lined paths. The hills stand still in the background, holding their breath as if waiting for an impending danger. Nestled in this dreamlike landscape — rendered in soft, earthy tones and intricate ink lines — is a curious premise: in this sleepy place, man and monster once lived side by side.
This is the opening spread of Song of the Asunam (HarperCollins), a modern-day fable written by CG Salamander and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe. The book opens with a sweeping view of the village, detailed with scattered homes, and the whisper of the wilderness beyond. Turn the pages, and you meet the Asunam — a radiant, rainbow-scaled bird with sharp talons, descending from the skies like a creature born of fire. Beside it, a boy — barefoot, wide-eyed — stares up in awe.
The layers of storytelling
Song of the Asunam is an amalgamation — a tale interspersed with magical realism, a hidden story excerpted from mythology, or a good over evil tale. Why tell this story now? Because in a world increasingly defined by disconnection from the natural and the mythical, this book reminds us of what happens when wonder collides with responsibility. It’s a story rooted in ancient lore but also written through a very modern lens — of environmental loss, childhood bravery, and the search for belonging.
At its heart is Vetri, a boy eager to prove himself. When the Asunam lands in his village, he sees it as a challenge — a chance to hone his hunting skills, to finally matter. The villagers, gripped by fear, are only too happy to let him. But what begins as a chase, transforms into something else. Vetri soon realises that the Asunam is lost — not a monster, but a migrant. He decides, then, to help it find its way home. Vetri, his grandmother, and Asunam are characters drawn from CG Salamander’s own life and the stories that he has heard growing up. “I think the grandmother from the story is probably my own, an almost omniscient presence that sees all and knows all. Vetri, is every child who longed to fit in but got bored the moment they did,” says Salamander.
Wonders of Asunam
Salamander has always been intrigued by Indian myths and folklore, especially the lesser-known ones as he believes that they are integral to our lives and identities, too. He goes back to the Sangam literature and says that the Asunam was believed to be last spotted thousands of years ago in the Kunjari hills (Nilgiris). “They’re described as bird-like creatures with a body like a serpent, the temperament of a deer, and the strength of a dozen horses. They would nest among the sharpest cliffs and only venture out to listen to the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves,” he adds.
It’s believed that these birds loved the sounds of nature, but they were also phonophobic, which meant loud noises could be fatal for them. “It’s believed that they were hunted to extinction by our ancestors, who would draw them out of their caves playing melodious music and then kill them using the loud beat of a drum.” The idea that there could be a music-loving beast-like creature, such as humongous birds could be vulnerable to loud noise, more than that the thought of human interaction with them, enchanted him.
The author’s fascination for his hometown is also profoundly shown in the book — a thinly-populated area amid forests, probably a reflection of his imagination and nostalgic memories of South India. “I grew up in Madras, but I also spent a lot of time in Kodaikanal. I love my city, but I’ve always had a bias towards stories set in small towns and villages. Song of the Asunam is born out of my love for Kodaikanal.”
The tension between wonder and danger is mirrored in Rajiv Eipe’s illustrations. Known for his understanding of fauna, flora, birds and their anatomy, Rajiv, who has worked with the author in his previous works, brings this story alive with texture and tone. Some pages burst with saturated hues, others retreat into pale browns and greens, reflecting mood and movement. “The village where the initial part of the story is set, is imagined in muddy brown tones, and the scene turns progressively greener as they traverse forests and hills during the course of their journey. The graphic novel format allows for plenty of visual interpretation beyond the text of the script. As described by Salamander, Asunam are these brilliantly multicoloured creatures, and the vibrancy of colour of their scales is an indication of their well-being.”
The story’s roots run even deeper. The collaborators drew inspiration from the Keezhadi civilization. “We discussed this story a few times and allowed it to evolve and come to us during our discussions, instead of forcing it out or planning it extensively.” The book could thus be inferred as an homage to a lost creature, a conversation starter about extinction, or simply an escapade to a period free from the modern world’s hustle and bustle, to nature and adventure.