Author Perumal Murugan and artist Appupen reimagine CS Chellappa’s Vaadivaasal as a graphic novel

Vaadivaasal: The Arena, a graphic novel adaptation by Perumal Murugan and Appupen, explores the jallikkattu tradition in Tamil Nadu.

The crowd watches with bated breath. It is a tussle between man and beast. Who will win? Pichi the boy, Kaari the fierce bull, or the zamindar who owns the animal? Clouds of mud fly up in the air as the crowd in Chellayipuram throngs the vaadivaasal (entrance to the arena) to see thejallikkattu action live.

Vaadivaasal: The Arena isa graphic novel adaptation of the book by the same name by CS Chellappa published in 1949, written by author Perumal Murugan along with Bengaluru-based comic book artist Appupen, who has also illustrated it.

Appupen stayed in Madurai for three days to soak in the chaos at the arena. “You have to just stand in the sun and feel it to get that mood. So you will think of it with the discomfort in mind. That’s what you need. But if you were on your sofa and surfing photos of it online, you are not getting the mood because you are in your comfort zone. You have to be with the people, see the dust, and sweat.”

Working with Perumal Murugan was one of the many highlights of this project for him. “He was accepting of me, and was taking my suggestions. I wanted to show myself that I am thinking of the craft of storytelling in a way he can accept.”

Initially, Appupen made a rough storyboard of 30 pages to show Murugan the nature of the work. “I told him for our comic, we won’t write what we have shown in the drawing unlike some comics in India. We wanted to talk to a more informed audience, treat them better. And he took it seriously.”

The graphic novel medium urged Murugan to think more visually. “I already had an experience of writing film scripts. Appupen decided what was necessary and unnecessary according to his images. We had an understanding between each other,” says the writer.

As a writer who wrote the foreword for the republished version of Vaadivaasal in 2004, he was also familiar with the writings of Chellappa including another book of short stories on bulls.