Although the comics market is booming all across India, Bengali comics still have not garnered the attention they deserve. The proliferation of pirated PDF copies of comics on social media platforms has severely impacted the Bengali comics industry. These pirated copies are often shared among users, discouraging them from purchasing original books. As a result, publishers struggle to recoup their investments, making them hesitant to invest in new comics or provide fair compensation to authors and artists.

Amidst the struggle for proper representation of Bengali comics, The Statesman got hold of the Bengali comic artist, Dr Sayan Pal, who has developed his own franchise, ‘Bonku Daktar’, and is forging ahead into the future.

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“My art has always been rooted in my profession. I observe people carefully, and that is how situations, occurrences and characters find their way into my stories. My childhood was filled with Debnath’s comic icons,” said the doctor.

Devoured by passion, he went on with his artistic interests while also being a medical student in his early days. Just within only the first year of medical school, the character of ‘Bonku Daktar’, a bald, humorous face, was born from doodles during biochemistry lectures. The world of ‘Bonku Daktar’ hence emerged and still continues to mark its place in the history of Bengali comics.

During the second year of medical college, he created a comic strip series named ‘Bindaas BSMC!’, featuring his batchmates and him, which got published in the college wall magazine, ‘Aorta’. This achievement caught the attention of one of his faculty, who shared the same passion for comics and who therefore mentored and guided him to the world of comics, providing a deeper understanding and technical aspects of creating comics.

Later, other supporting characters joined the world of Bonku Daktar. Bhim Singh, a powerful and voracious eater; Gobu, a loyal but not-too-bright local boy; Bonku Daktar’s strict but caring wife; Gulti, their mischievous but intelligent 5-year-old son; Chokkotti Khuro, a scientist uncle who’s an inventive genius, but his inventions many a time put the whole team under some dangerous circumstances, also came along.

An artist after creating his biggest masterpiece, often goes on to critique his own work for even the smallest of imperfections. Pal is no different. Pal felt that he got so inspired by the works of Narayan Debnath, that somehow his own works lacked individuality and were almost a repetition of the latter. Hence, to carve out his own unique niche, he built plots and characters, getting inspired by real-life situations and how humans aim to reflect and navigate them. He began on topics like the Covid pandemic, cyclones, high electricity bills, mental disorders, and work stress, enveloping them under humour and satire.

For instance, ‘Samajik’ is based on the ill effects of social media. Going forward with his successes, on 5 September 2014, ‘Maskbadi Bonku Daktar’ was his first comic published as a result of participating in a comics creation competition. Continuing more with his publications, in 2016, he received the ‘Narayan Debnath Puraskar’, as being the best comics artist in Bengali literature for that year.

‘Bonku Doctor Jindabad’, his first collection, was published in 2018. Two more collections since then, ‘Bonku Daktar La-jawab’ and ‘Bonku Daktar Bajimat’, were published in 2021 and 2023, respectively. The next year he received several other awards, including the infamous ‘Dilip Smriti Puroskar’ also hitting a milestone with the completion of his first graphic novel, ‘Burocracy’. The same year he participated in the 6th Pindamonhangaba International Cartoon Competition held in Brazil and was selected among the top 100 artists worldwide, with only two representatives from India, including him.

“There was a breach after Debnath’s comics became famous. Luckily, after the global pandemic crisis, realising its value and diminishing recognition, publications like Kolkata Komics and Antareep have made their focus on comics and graphic novels, and reached audiences and readers through other merchandising”, said Dr Pal.

He further added, “To succeed in the comics industry, it’s crucial to focus on both quality and quantity. Meeting deadlines, producing a significant body of work, and consistently delivering high-quality content are essential for making a meaningful contribution to the world of comics. Ultimately, our goal should be to make comics an integral part of Indian popular culture, accessible to people from all walks of life. By working together and embracing the possibilities of newer formats, we can achieve this vision and create a vibrant, thriving comics industry. We can draw inspiration from countries like Japan, where graphic narration is highly valued. Comic characters are ubiquitous in Japanese popular culture, appearing on public transportation, buildings, and even home decor. Fortunately, there are signs of positive change. Bengali comics are being marketed and popularised more effectively, with artists gaining recognition. This newfound attention suggests that the Bengali comics market is poised for growth, and we can expect to see exciting new work emerge soon.”