Kashmir is a land of paradoxes. For the 13th century poet and scholar Amir Khusrau, the valley meant heaven. For many, it meant living in uncertainty and on the brink of violent death. The land of thriving dreams and crushed desires. The scenic land of snow-capped mountains that turns red and smoky in the blink of a moment. The land of food and culture, and yet the land of conflicts.
When graphic novelist and film producer Debasmita Dasgupta sat down to sketch her rendition of Kashmir, in the form of a graphic novel―Terminal 3, published by India Penguin―she looked at it through the dreamy eyes of a teen, Khwab Nazir. While many voices from the valley have narrated the tales of disintegration of lives, Dasgupta’s version is a fairly simpler, one-of-a-kind and impactful one. Her illustrations bring the story and its characters to life.
A jiu-jitsu player, 17-year-old Nazir grows up in a family that pushes her to achieve success despite their kin complaining about her getting tanned due to long practice sessions, and nagging the family about her marriage.
The idea, according to Dasgupta, germinated a decade ago when she had started her Facebook page to share stories of fathers who defended the rights of their daughters. “There were not enough such positive stories back then,” she says. “Men were usually seen as perpetrators of violence but I also wanted to tell stories of men who had supported women. I have personally had a great relationship with my father and he has supported me in becoming whatever I am today.”
At the backdrop of the story of dreams in a conflicted land is also the parallel heart-breaking story of, Noor, Nazir’s best friend, and Yusuf Najar. Their innocent love blossoms, but their joy is shortlived as Nazir is killed in an explosion which blinds Noor. “I’m not dead, Khwab. I’m only wounded. I shall live. My soul will resurrect from the ashes of my bones,” says a valiant Noor, reflecting on the undying spirit of the people of Kashmir.
Terminal 3 goes back and forth in time between 2017 and 2019 as Nazir reminisces what led her to the present day where she is ready to spread her wings. Waiting for her flight at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 in August 2019, she wonders why she could not reach out to her family back in Kashmir over phone. This was also a time when Article 370 was scrapped in the valley and the special status of the state was removed, leading to disconnection of mobile networks in order to maintain peace during the time of transition.
Her next graphic novel is the story of Faiza, a boxer from Himachal Pradesh. “People of any conflict zones are humans at the end of the day and have friends, family, relationships, lovers, dreams. We sometimes forget about these aspects,” says Dasgupta.
TERMINAL 3
By Debasmita Dasgupta
Published by India Penguin
Price Rs223; pages 110