Amruta Patil Graphing the Future

She burst onto the scene in 2008 with the brilliant Kari – to a muted reception. Now, more than a decade later, India’s first female graphic novelist is at the height of her powers. Patil’s since published three more compelling books that take their inspiration from the rich world of Indian mythology and are routinely prescribed in university courses. In addition to a sequel to Kari, during the lockdown, she’s also started work in yet another medium: large scale paintings. Vivek Menezes talks to one of India’s most unique creative forces

- Vivek Menezes

Back in 2008, when India’s first female graphic novelist debuted with her stunning Kari – now acclaimed as a classic – the national cultural establishment barely registered Amruta Patil’s emergence.

Part of the problem was genre: It would take the best part of another decade before desi readers and critics understood and embraced the rise of comics into the realm of serious literature.

Another reason was that Patil came from nowhere that mattered to this deeply incestuous set of cultural gatekeepers. The 29-year-old had been raised in Goa, attended the decidedly uncelebrated state art college, then tarried in the lower rungs of Mumbai’s advertising industry before earning an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston. Coming from a Navy family, she never had the opportunity or inclination to ingratiate herself with the cognoscenti.

All Patil had was her slim, highly individualistic book, with its spiky-haired protagonist on its glossy scarlet cover, that sparkled with cheeky visual quotations and unexpectedly profound insights into the psychological landscape of a heartbroken – but healing – queer young protagonist. Kari was sui generis, which at that time put it far beyond the ken of mainstream readers and reviewers. This meant it was launched with barely a ripple, and took many years to accumulate the cult status it enjoys now.