He is being hailed as India’s first Muslim superhero. That a superhero from a community which has lived in India for at least 1,300 years should get its first superhero only now says a lot about the space granted (or denied) to Muslims in our country. Our hero Musalman, however, is not one to hold grudges. His suit might be green (the colour of Islam), but his chaddi is saffron and his keffiyeh is white; he is dressed in the colours of the Indian flag. While he flaunts a ripped body beneath his jumpsuit and has the power to punch holes in cars with his iron fist, Musalman does not believe in violence. His preferred method is to make the enemy forget all their troubles, including the reasons behind the enmity, by sharing jokes and joints. In this, too, he is a true-blue Gen Z Indian.

The Bengaluru-based comics writer, filmmaker, and comedian Falah Faisal’s superhero had his first appearance in 2017 in the webcomics Musalman Vs Trade Center. There, he reversed 9/11 history by flying through a skyscraper, which miraculously did not collapse. Thereafter, he fought against the “Romeo Squad” and tackled the issue of triple talaq in comics on Instagram and the Bakarmax website. His birth as a printed-book superhero happened during the pandemic. Faisal describes the process in the Afterword of Musalman:

“On the evening of March 24, 2020, our screens flickered with the image of our dear supreme leader announcing the very first lockdown when faced with the very serious threat of an unprecedented global pandemic. While most people busied themselves with securing resources and getting home safely, I went to my room and wrote the very first story of this book—Musalman vs Coronavirus—as a response to that speech. The news back then was dominated by the Tablighi Jammat being blamed for spreading the virus, as a result of which the entire Muslim community was being held responsible. Naturally, Musalman had to respond, using the same language and whataboutery as our leader.”

In Musalman vs Coronavirus, Musalman gets a revamped costume—a saffron jumpsuit, with green underwear (with pockets) worn over it. In a masterstroke of practical fashion designing, his beard extends into a mask while the costume glows in the dark, attracting all the coronavirus to itself. Loaded with the virus, Musalman flies into space, where corona reportedly cannot survive. It is an ingenious solution to the pandemic threat, quite like the supreme directive to bang utensils to eliminate the virus.

Deep twists

Satire animates Musalman, but it is not rabid. Rather, it is friendly, jokey, of the kind that makes a strong cup of tea stronger. Nonetheless, certain twists in the narrative are deep: for instance, Musalman’s ancestry is traced back to Luv, son of Ram. When Musalman expresses surprise at his Hindu roots, the whirling dervish who reveals his past and future to him, explains: “Beta, Buddha wasn’t a Buddhist. Jesus wasn’t Christian. All religions are imaginary and arbitrary anyway.”

Musalman’s arch enemy is Ravan, who rises from his epic slumber to destroy mosques and Muslim monuments. He stops the rampage the moment he discovers that Musalman is a Siva bhakt too, which means both can get happily zonked, putting rivalry on hold. All’s well that ends in “Bam bam Bhole”.

The accomplices of Musalman (who, by the way, is a left-arm pacer for Bengaluru Challengers when he is not saving the planet) are as whacky. There is Starwoman, “an astronaut working with Melon Musk’s SpaceY. When her craft exploded on its maiden mission, she was saved by the spirit of David Bowie, who merged with her. She shares a deep, mysterious connection with Musalman, rooted in his childhood.” Begum Badass, “a burqa-clad superheroine who took up the Niqab of the Sisterhood after her husband was lynched by a mob”. Musalman X, who “[r]ose from the streets of Chicago, shaped by the teachings of Malcolm X. As the black Musalman, this world-weary superhero dreams of uniting Muslim superheroes from across the globe into a powerful team.”

One of his allies is Chandrashekhar Quaid, who is sentenced to five years of hard labour by the “Antim Pradesh High Court” for damaging public property and disturbing peace. Musalman frees him while he is being carried away to jail in a police vehicle. Thus Chandrashekhar Quaid becomes Chandrashekhar Azad, and in gratitude promises Musalman that the “whole blue army will be by your side” whenever he needs it. I loved this episode with its intelligent wordplay.

Subtle, witty, and artistic

While reading the book, my heart quaked at the thought of all the hate Faisal must be getting for his comics. In the afterword, he assures us by saying: “...to everyone’s surprise, I say, ‘No, not at all [to apprehensions of his DMs being full of hate]!’ In fact, the reaction I am most often faced with is one of amazement and joy at knowing that Musalman exists in the world and is doing what it is doing.” This, indeed, is a relief, speaking as it does of an unbiased readership, appreciative of merit.

Satire always runs the risk of sacrificing literary aesthetics to a political/social end. It can seem time-specific and vindictive, designed for short-term entertainment. Faisal manages to bypass these possibilities by being subtle, witty, and artistic. The artistry of the images is, of course, courtesy of his collaborator Spud, but together they make up a good team: both are irreverent without being in-your-face. Sections of the text with its clever play on Hindi words reminded me of Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, which says a lot about Faisal’s skills. Yoda Press too must be congratulated for printing this book, which bigger publishing houses may have hesitated to take up.

Get this delightful comics. It is the duty of readers dreaming of a mania-mukt Bharat to support Musalman in his subversive mission.

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