Amar Chitra Katha: A History

Amar Chitra Katha is one of the most famous comic series in Indian History. Why and how was this popular series about Indian mythology created? How did it become what it is today? This story traces the journey of Amar Chitra Katha from its inception to the present times

An Amar Chitra Katha panel | Image Source: Wikipedia

When Anant (Uncle) Pai watched a quiz show on Doordarshan in the 1960s, he was annoyed that the contestants, while knowledgeable about Greek heroes and mythology, displayed an embarrassing lack of knowledge about Indian mythology.

At that moment, he had the idea to create a series about Indian mythology and culture. He soon left his job at the Times of India, and a year later in 1967 wrote the seminal India Book, which chronicled Indian mythology, folklore, and ancient and modern history. A comic series, Amar Chitra Katha was also launched.

The best thing about Amar Chitra Katha is that the comic breaks down the highly complex world of Indian mythology into easy-to-read narratives, reflecting the ease with which our grandparents told us the legends.

Children these days are keen to watch Indian cartoons such as Chota Bheem, Motu Patlu and Roll No. 21. But for the average Indian kid growing up in the 1980s and the 90s, there were very few relatable Indian cartoons on the airwaves. Apart from that, not everyone owned a television at that time. Even for the ones who did, Their options were largely limited to Japanese cartoons such as Digimon, Pokemon, and Sakura, and American cartoons such as Scooby-Doo and Ben 10. Later, comics such as Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha became the primary, and sometimes the sole, source of relevant stories that were deeply ingrained in their culture.

Preeti Vyas, president of Amar Chitra Katha, believes this is the main reason for its great success. Worldwide, the comic has sold over 300 million copies and has been translated into Italian, French, Swahili and of course several Indian languages. "Our mission was to make profound work, keep it fresh and timely, while keeping its spirit alive", Preeti said.

According to critics, Amar Chitra Katha imparted a foundation of historical and cultural knowledge, while Tinkle (yet another great comic by Anant Pai) imparted moral precepts more lightly.

This has been a goal of the magazine since its inception, and Rajani Thindiath has sought to strengthen and develop it since he took over as editor-in-chief of Tinkle in 2016.

"All our stories seek to instil progressive morality in young readers. We made a conscious effort to include more female characters in Tinkle", the editor-in-chief said.

Having said all that, it is truly a wonder what the world of Amar Chitra Katha has done for Indian children. It has created an easy path to mythological knowledge as well as a connection to our past. Even to this day, Amar Chitra Katha is one of the most loved comics ever created in India.