A nurse and her ward who refuses to speak live in a precarious relationship in their doctor's summer beach side house near Vizag. What starts out as an uneventful and pleasant life morphs into a series of frightening events - ultimately binding the two into another dimension of reality.
Review of Vizag Blue by Hollywood Celebrity Ms. Kathy Garver, principal actress from the 70s television show FAMILY AFFAIR
The second edition Vizag Blue by the talented Anil CS Rao concentrates on the universal questions of who we are, our relationships and what are we doing in this life. Through an engaging narrative enhanced by excellent artwork in the comic, expressive style of this special Graphic novel, the reader is taken on a metaphysical and existential voyage of personal discovery in a very immersive way.
The story begins in the populous city of Vizag on the east coast of India. Prem, boyfriend of the main character Kalpana, proposes marriage to the one he loves. The next part of the arc takes us to a hospital where the other main characters are introduced, a well renowned doctor of Psychiatry, Dr. Reena Rao and Nurse Usha. Nurse Usha is given the task of attending to Kalpana who has been brought to the hospital as the young student has suddenly become mute and unable to move. The unusual occurrence happened after she was on stage rehearsing the legendry Hindu play of Shakuntula. Kalpana has suffered no health problem and the idiopathic speech paralysis seems to be a mental condition. Dr. Reena, thinking the best medicine, since Kalapana has shown no improvement, is to move her to more relaxing climes and so offers her rural summer beach house at the sea for rest and recovery. To oversee this change of venue and Kalpana health, Dr. Reena assigns Nurse Usha.
What ensues is a bonding of the nurse and Kalpana. The nurse does most of the talking as Kalpana skill cannot talk and they engage in simple tasks of cooking, sewing and walking along the shoe of the beautiful beach. The nurse reveals herself to Kalpana but the ailing one does not respond, only laughing as she had done in the hospital at a movie on TV. The nurse discovers an unsealed letter she is to take to the post office and opens it. The missive reveals that Kalpana has betrayed the trust the nurse had placed in her. Usha is very hurt and shortly Kalpana’s boyfriend comes to the beach house to proffer his love to the one he has missed. These actions strengthen the flow and pace of the novel and the reader is encouraged to ask themselves, what’s next? Through the realization and many comparisons of the different lives Kalpana has been living she discovers all her lives have been false fronts, that none of the roles on stage or in her actual life reflect who she really is. And who is that person? Is there an actually consciousness to that person? Will she ever find out?
The story of self-introspection and discovery of one’s true self and purpose in life has been a vital question through the ages. Anil presents the journey through discovery with his picturesque language and bold stylish art work. It is like seeing a piece of art and reading it with all the nuances of imagination and expression. The assortment of colorizations supports and adds to the intrigue of the story. Moody browns and dark colors are lightened by brighter bolder colors when important points of the story need to be told. Anil’s frames vary from rectangles to squares and are of different sizes and placements. The dialogue bubbles, differentiate themselves from the narrative which finds itself in various places throughout the novel. Pace is excellent and is kept by changing the art to suit the various changes in actions. Characters are multi-layered and their relatable characteristics are peeled like an onion as each sequential page reveals more about each of them. Usage of alliteration and allusion entertain while adding ballast of history as in the recall of the legend of Shakuntula and the comparison to Kalpana’s search for self and love. After the building of the arc with twists, tensions and revelations, the denouement after the climax is an apt resolution.
The panel layout of rectangles, squares and other planes with differing gutter spaces intrigues the reader and the various colors illustrate special points and distinguish the characters very well; the mood of the piece is darker backgrounds yet bright colors emerge when needed. And the use of negative and positive space is quite well implemented; the illustrations provide context and action to keep the readers looking forward to the next page. The lettering fits the content expressing the emotions of the characters and adding to this romance. And yes, Vizag Blue is a romantic story about not only finding oneself but the person with whom one can share his or her life with honesty, freely and unfettered. Will Kalpana fly like the butterfly and find wings of love? Or forever stay in a cocoon of silence? The question is intriguing and is teased on the cover of this excellent book.
In my opinion, Vizag Blue is an excellent graphic novel, one that is revelatory, entertaining and insightful. I recommend it highly. You will learn from the experience. You won’t be disappointed, but happy that you will be immersed and engaged in a topic and art piece that deals with one of the most important topics of our existence. Who are we really?
Kathy Garver
September, 2023
Author, Actor, Producer. “Cissy” On classic TV Family Affair, “Firestar” on Spiderman and His Amazing Friends , Author of five best-selling books. www.kathygarver.comnd mortar bookstores worldwide - in addition to an Audible and Kindle version.
The second edition Vizag Blue by the talented Anil CS Rao concentrates on the universal questions of who we are, our relationships and what are we doing in this life. Through an engaging narrative enhanced by excellent artwork in the comic, expressive style of this special Graphic novel, the reader is taken on a metaphysical and existential voyage of personal discovery in a very immersive way.
The story begins in the populous city of Vizag on the east coast of India. Prem, boyfriend of the main character Kalpana, proposes marriage to the one he loves. The next part of the arc takes us to a hospital where the other main characters are introduced, a well renowned doctor of Psychiatry, Dr. Reena Rao and Nurse Usha. Nurse Usha is given the task of attending to Kalpana who has been brought to the hospital as the young student has suddenly become mute and unable to move. The unusual occurrence happened after she was on stage rehearsing the legendry Hindu play of Shakuntula. Kalpana has suffered no health problem and the idiopathic speech paralysis seems to be a mental condition. Dr. Reena, thinking the best medicine, since Kalapana has shown no improvement, is to move her to more relaxing climes and so offers her rural summer beach house at the sea for rest and recovery. To oversee this change of venue and Kalpana health, Dr. Reena assigns Nurse Usha.
What ensues is a bonding of the nurse and Kalpana. The nurse does most of the talking as Kalpana skill cannot talk and they engage in simple tasks of cooking, sewing and walking along the shoe of the beautiful beach. The nurse reveals herself to Kalpana but the ailing one does not respond, only laughing as she had done in the hospital at a movie on TV. The nurse discovers an unsealed letter she is to take to the post office and opens it. The missive reveals that Kalpana has betrayed the trust the nurse had placed in her. Usha is very hurt and shortly Kalpana’s boyfriend comes to the beach house to proffer his love to the one he has missed. These actions strengthen the flow and pace of the novel and the reader is encouraged to ask themselves, what’s next? Through the realization and many comparisons of the different lives Kalpana has been living she discovers all her lives have been false fronts, that none of the roles on stage or in her actual life reflect who she really is. And who is that person? Is there an actually consciousness to that person? Will she ever find out?
The story of self-introspection and discovery of one’s true self and purpose in life has been a vital question through the ages. Anil presents the journey through discovery with his picturesque language and bold stylish art work. It is like seeing a piece of art and reading it with all the nuances of imagination and expression. The assortment of colorizations supports and adds to the intrigue of the story. Moody browns and dark colors are lightened by brighter bolder colors when important points of the story need to be told. Anil’s frames vary from rectangles to squares and are of different sizes and placements. The dialogue bubbles, differentiate themselves from the narrative which finds itself in various places throughout the novel. Pace is excellent and is kept by changing the art to suit the various changes in actions. Characters are multi-layered and their relatable characteristics are peeled like an onion as each sequential page reveals more about each of them. Usage of alliteration and allusion entertain while adding ballast of history as in the recall of the legend of Shakuntula and the comparison to Kalpana’s search for self and love. After the building of the arc with twists, tensions and revelations, the denouement after the climax is an apt resolution.
The panel layout of rectangles, squares and other planes with differing gutter spaces intrigues the reader and the various colors illustrate special points and distinguish the characters very well; the mood of the piece is darker backgrounds yet bright colors emerge when needed. And the use of negative and positive space is quite well implemented; the illustrations provide context and action to keep the readers looking forward to the next page. The lettering fits the content expressing the emotions of the characters and adding to this romance. And yes, Vizag Blue is a romantic story about not only finding oneself but the person with whom one can share his or her life with honesty, freely and unfettered. Will Kalpana fly like the butterfly and find wings of love? Or forever stay in a cocoon of silence? The question is intriguing and is teased on the cover of this excellent book.
In my opinion, Vizag Blue is an excellent graphic novel, one that is revelatory, entertaining and insightful. I recommend it highly. You will learn from the experience. You won’t be disappointed, but happy that you will be immersed and engaged in a topic and art piece that deals with one of the most important topics of our existence. Who are we really?
Kathy Garver
September, 2023
Author, Actor, Producer. “Cissy” On classic TV Family Affair, “Firestar” on Spiderman and His Amazing Friends , Author of five best-selling books. www.kathygarver.comnd mortar bookstores worldwide - in addition to an Audible and Kindle version.
Kathy Garver's books are available online, at retail bookstores and through her website: kathygarver.com
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