Questions of Identity and Belonging in Amruta Patil’s Kari

Abstract

While Indian print comics have experienced a steady decline since the late 1990s, graphic narratives in the form of graphic novels are increasingly being explored as a new medium for storytelling. Kari (2008) is deemed the first Indian queer graphic novel, written by India’s first female graphic novelist, Amruta Patil. The book navigates through the many identities and roles of the eponymous protagonist, Kari - as lover, friend, boatman, storyteller, city-dweller, and a young Indian woman working at an ad agency in Smog City (based on Mumbai).

DOI - https://doi.org/10.65525/SVUP.9788199392083.2025.56-61.