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Superhero comic’s 2nd volume on acid attack victims comes to Delhi (Lead)
New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) A tale of “courage and overcoming societal ridicule” by acid attack survivors will be presented in an upcoming exhibition here as the second volume of “Priya’s Shakti”, a pioneering female superhero comic about a rape survivor.
An interesting combination of interactive comic books, augmented reality and art, the exhibition “Priya’s Mirror” — featuring superhero Priya Shakti who is a rape survivor, and is named by UN Women as a “gender equality champion” — will be presented for the first time in Delhi.
The exhibition will open at the Kaleidoscope Digital Art (KDA) gallery of Triveni Kala Sangam here on Thursday.
The first volume, “Priya’s Shakti”, was launched in 2014 and shattered taboos that exist in India on the subject of violence against women. As per a statement from the organisers, it has over 26 million readers.
The second volume of this ongoing series, “Priya’s Mirror”, sees the heroine joining forces with acid attack survivors to take on the demon king ‘Ahankar’.
She helps a group of acid attack survivors to find their strength and conquer their fears – similar to how she overcame her fears after surviving a brutal rape, the statement said.
It has been created by Paromita Vohra, documentary filmmaker and screenplay writer of 2003 Pakistani film “Khamosh Pani”; Ram Devineni, filmmaker and creator of the series “The Karma Killings” (about the Nithari case); Shubhra Prakash, actor and short filmmaker; and Dan Goldman, graphic novelist and digital creator.
The show, which is about acid attack victims finding their own inner strength, makes use of augmented reality to bring the 2D world of the comic to life and unlock a number of vivid, interactive story elements.
The viewers can interact in 3D with comic book pages on view, by scanning them on a free, downloadable app on their phones, organisers said.
Also featured in the exhibition are real-life accounts of acid attack survivors who inspired the comic’s characters.
“Priya’s Mirror” is an empowering story of “courage, overcoming societal ridicule, shame and indignity leading to emancipation from disabling restrictions imposed by an unempathetic society and self”, the gallery said.
It will be open for public viewing till February 9.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.