Any historian will tell you that the most important reason to study the past is to learn from it in the hope of not repeating those mistakes. And unfortunately, we are walking a fine line right now of heading down an irrefutably dark path. Chhotu is a story of 1947, but very much a story of today. There’s even some satire that we didn’t plan for, and yet recent events have made into reality,” said author Varud Gupta, at his recent book launch in the capital for Chhotu: A Tale of Partition and Love.This graphic novel illustrated by Ayushi Rastogi is set in the backdrop of the Partition. Gupta asserted the novel is about finding meaning in ourselves, in our actions, and in a time when we as individuals feel smaller than ever.
With an idea to unpacking memories of the 1947 era, both Gupta and Rastogi looked to Delhi’s historical Chandni Chowk. “Through the depiction of the 1947 era, we could recreate the Chandni Chowk of the past and unpack the stories of our grandparents living during that time. And given how relevant the sentiments of the Partition are today, our reflection of the present became a part of Chhotu’s journey.”
For Gupta, the idea of Chhotu, a student-cum-paranthe-cook, the ‘everyday hero’ remained the centre of this story. He says, “Believe it or not, the first rendition of Chhotu involved our main character stumbling upon the magical underpants of Shaktiman during a school trip which then bestowed him with superpowers.”
Gupta shared how the idea evolved to match the medium: it’s a character story, within historical events, with a touch of Bollywood flair and that would have only been possible as a graphic novel. Rastogi said, “Chhotu is a very personal project for me. It encapsulates everything I love and value – from drawing to our grandparents’ history to the social messaging. I am a graphic designer who always had a passion for illustration. I always wanted to work with Varud, and Chhotu was the perfect opportunity to explore my style and push myself as an illustrator.”
According to Rastogi, the duo faced a number of challenges. “I was definitely not prepared for how much work goes into making a graphic novel. One cannot put a time frame to a project like this. We missed every deadline. It took us two years to make Chhotu. There were times I doubted myself and struggled with lack of confidence. It was great to have Varud by my side to push me and encourage me through this process.”
Battling it all, the artist enjoyed working on the project. “I loved the research part that went into making Chhotu. Going through old photographs, to reading articles about the Partition was a lot of fun. It also gave us an opportunity to spend time with our grandparents.”