The Sadhu
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''The Sadhu'' is a
comic book series a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
based on the character of the same name. The Sadhu was created by
Gotham Chopra Gotham Chopra (born Gautam Chopra on February 23, 1975) is an American sports documentarian, media entrepreneur, producer, podcast host, director, journalist, and author. He is a co-founder of Religion of Sports, Liquid Comics, Chopra Media, and ...
and
Jeevan Kang Jeevan J. Kang is an Indian comic book artist and writer. Work He was responsible for the artwork and script of the comic '' Spider-Man: India'', and was signed on by Virgin Comics to create art for their Indian comics. He is also the co creator ...
and the series is part of the Shakti line of comics published by
Virgin Comics Liquid Comics is an India, Indian comic book Publishers company, founded in 2006 as Virgin Comics LLC, which produced stories (many of which are Indian-culture related) for an international audience. The company was founded by Sir Richard Branson a ...
. The plot revolves around a British soldier by the name of James Jensen who finds himself to be the reincarnated form of a powerful sage from the past. The story primarily deals with the lessons that he has to learn so as to remove his connection with his current life. The comic book series is the first series from the Virgin line to have been confirmed for a film adaptation.300’s Mark Canton Teams With Graphic India On ‘The Sadhu’, by Mike Fleming Jr. March 12, 2014
/ref>


Plot summary

In India, the British Imperial army is fighting the natives and a group of
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
-like bandits called the Dakaits. Allied to the British are the
Zamindars A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
, landowners that find it in their interest to have the British ruling over India. A
sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. Th ...
by the name of
Dada Thakur Sarat Chandra Pandit (27 April 1879 – 27 April 1968), better known as ‘Dada Thakur’ (দাদাঠাকুর), was a well-known composer of humorous rhymes, writer, publisher and social critic. He had his ancestral house at Dafarpur ...
is directing the efforts of the Dakaits against the British and is told by a goddess that help is on the way for the Dakaits. In
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, a young man named
James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
is working in the docks of
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
with his younger brother
William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
. They are both unemployed and looking for work and have to fight other job-seekers to get a place on the ships. His brother gets a job on a certain ship and while James bids him farewell, he is approached by a soldier who offers him a chance to join the Imperial army in India. James eventually agrees after finding that his wife,
Tess Tess or TESS may refer to: Music * Tess (band), a Spanish pop band active from 2000 to 2005 * TESS (musician), a UK musician Film and theatre * ''Tess'' (1979 film), a 1979 film adaptation of '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' * ''Tess'' (2016 film ...
, is pregnant. A brutal colonel by the name of Timothy Townsend is the commanding officer in charge in India. Due to numerous mutinies erupting within the colony, he is requested to postpone his retirement. He works for the
East India company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
in the vicinity of the
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
province. James arrives in India and one day accidentally stumbles upon a temple of
Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
, the goddess of Death. There he finds a brief moment of spiritual epiphany and a feeling that his destiny is somehow intertwined with this foreign land. His wife also bears him a boy called Jack.''The Sadhu #01'', July 2006, Virgin Comics, writer Gotham Chopra, artist Jeevan Kang, James is trained within the army but he is found to be unfitting as a soldier and Colonel Townsend is particularly displeased with him. One night, while drunk, Townsend berates him and attempts to entice James' wife which forces James to publicly rebuke the colonel angering him in the process. The next day, James is ordered by the colonel to shoot an Indian soldier who disobeyed orders. When James refuses, he is taken away and beaten up and to further exacerbate the situation, the Colonel brings in his wife and sexually assaults her. Within a short while, he kills her and James' son in front of him. James is buried alive but with the help of one of his fellow soldiers, he manages to flee the military unit. While escaping within the jungle, he finds a band of Indian killers whose leader (Dada Thakur) saves him by using vast reality manipulation powers to shrink James to the size of an atom.''The Sadhu #02'', August 2006, Virgin Comics, writer Gotham Chopra, artist Jeevan Kang The
shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
, Dada Thakur, declares James to be "the one" and tells him that James was once his mentor. Colonel Townsend is reprimanded for the casualties suffered and in order to cover up, he lies by stating that an insane James was to blame as he killed his wife and child and allowed natives to enter the encampment. He is told by his superiors that India has officially become a
colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...
of the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
and that the East India company wants him to firmly secure the region as it is a key producer of
opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
that is sold to China. James wakes up and finds himself in a Bengali village. Dada Thakur says that he had once promised to help James "remember" himself (back when James was the Sadhu). Dada Thakur orders James to be attacked (through sticks and bullets) but James' unconscious mystical powers awaken and protect him.''The Sadhu #03'', September 2006, Virgin Comics, writer Gotham Chopra, artist Jeevan Kang James becomes impressed when Dada Thakur heals a wounded boy and also when Dada Thakur repels a contingent of British soldiers by freezing their bullets in mid-air and by unleashing a wave of energy through a third eye on his forehead. He requests to be trained in the same arts and Dada accepts his request. James begins his training with Dada Thakur who tells him that reality is ultimately a perception and hence through his mind, he can change what he perceives. Also, since he creates reality by perceiving it, Dada tells James that he is ultimately responsible for the deaths of his family and the deaths of anyone else. He learns how to obtain enhanced speed, phasing, advanced fighting capability, time manipulation and even absolute concentration. He is also told by Dada that one day he will betray the shaman. After three years, James ends his training abruptly as the desire to seek vengeance from Townsend grows beyond control within him. James visits an English
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
where a professor, known for his knowledge of occult studies, is lecturing about Sadhus. After demonstrating that he can fly to the unbelieving professor, James asks the professor for information about a "
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
Sadhu" that he believes to be present within the country.''The Sadhu #04'', October 2006, Virgin Comics, writer Gotham Chopra, artist Jeevan Kang James then goes to an inn and ignoring the advances of a prostitute, he goes to meet the owner who happens to be his brother, William. A bar fight ensues which is stopped when the owner of the entire establishment comes and kills a worker who was apparently stealing. He exits the place by simply vanishing and James pursues his trail. He catches up with the coach of this demon Sadhu and he finds that the person is none other than Colonel Townsend. James was aware of this and he challenges Townsend to a fight but because of his lack of experience, he finds himself easily beaten. His battered body is taken in by the English university professor whose daughter is also aware of James' powers and who subsequently nurses him.''The Sadhu #05'', February 2007, Virgin Comics, writer Gotham Chopra, artist Jeevan Kang The professor tells James that Townsend may have gone to a Kali temple and therein worshiped the destructive side of the goddess thus becoming a demon Sadhu. James takes his leave after being informed by the professor's daughter that Townsend has established a deep power base within the London
underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...
. James meets his brother and tells him of Tess's death and Townsend's part in it but William refuses to take him to the Colonel for fear of being killed. James publicly demands Townsend to confront him and later that night evades an assassination attempt in his sleep. His brother comes to meet him to try and dissuade him from his goal but James refuses to listen to the advice and continues in his quest.''The Sadhu #06'', March 2007, Virgin Comics, writer Gotham Chopra, artist Jeevan Kang


Reception

The comic series has generally been well received with comparisons being made to
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
's
Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
(another series focused on an individual character). The artwork has especially been praised for its surreal aspects. The use of
Hindu history The history of Hinduism covers a wide variety of related religious traditions native to the Indian subcontinent. It overlaps or coincides with the development of religion in the Indian subcontinent since the Iron Age, with some of its traditions ...
and
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
alongside many fantasy elements has been said to have brought out a fresh approach within the comic series.


Continuation

The story of Sadhu continues with two 5 issue
miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
, sequel The Silent Ones, and third part
The Wheel of Destiny ''The Wheel of Destiny'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Duke Worne and starring Forrest Stanley, Georgia Hale and Percy Challenger.Munden p.883 Synopsis After being rejected by a snobbish society woman, a young man falls and l ...
.


Characters


James Jensen

James Jensen is an Englishman who moved to India in order to work under the British army. However, after his family's murder, he meets an enigmatic mystic by the name of Dada Thakur who tells him that he was a sadhu before he was James Jenson. Finding that he possesses mystical powers, James decided to obtain vengeance and thus embarked on a quest to find his family's killer.


Colonel Timothy Townsend

Colonel Timothy Townsend is a brutal commander leading the British contingent in India. After murdering James' family, he prays to the dark side of the Indian goddess Kali thus becoming blessed with extreme powers. He becomes a demon Sadhu in the process and manages to become a dominant force within the London crime scene. It is stipulated that he is indirectly responsible for James' conversion to a Sadhu.


Dada Thakur

Dada Thakur is a shaman who leads a band of Dakaits against the British. However, he is also revealed to have been a pupil of James in the past (back when he was a sadhu) thus being a minor, but powerful, Sadhu. He takes it upon himself to train James and to also help him "remember" himself. Dada Thakur has also revealed of knowing that James will betray him in the future, a claim that James refuses.


Tess Jensen

Tess is James' wife who goes with him to India. She is pregnant with a boy called Jack and within months, she is pregnant with another baby. She is forcibly taken and almost raped by Colonel Timothy Townsend who subsequently kills her in front of James.


William Jensen

William is James' younger brother. He stays behind in London while his brother goes to the East. He eventually ends up running an inn under Colonel Townsend.


Themes

The Sadhu is based on Eastern (
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
) concepts such as
karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
,
shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...
(the female embodiment of the Goddess) and the four stages of living. It is revealed that the Sadhu is a force for good recruited by the goddess and that his entire life is a preparation for this conversion. The idea of reality being a perception plays a dominant role as James constantly confesses to a feeling of familiarity when he should be a stranger to the foreign lands that he visits. Moreover, brief asides and notes at the ends of each issue (by
Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopra (; ; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-American author and alternative medicine advocate. A prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in alternati ...
) further demonstrate the spiritual nature of the story. As explained in the four stages of living, the sadhu is the embodiment of the final stage of living where emotional attachment and worldly ties are abandoned. Thus, the death of James' family was a necessary component for James' conversion into the Sadhu. The Sadhu is also said to be a "seeker" who goes through life trying to find the reason for his existence. In the comics, this is further backed up as even before reaching India, James Jenson felt that "India was already somehow already a part of me".


Film adaptation

In late 2006, there were rumors of a film adaptation starring Nicolas Cage.Nicolas Cage to play Sadhu? by Arthur J Pais. November 14, 2006 16:52 IST
/ref> In early 2014, it was reported that a film adaption would be co-produced by Mark Canton of Atmosphere Entertainment with Sharad Devarajan and Gotham Chopra of Graphic India.


Collections

The series is being collected as
trade paperbacks A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...
: *''When Realities Collide'' (196 pages, July 2007, )


See also

*
Indian comics Chitrakatha (Hindi: चित्रकथा, Telugu: చిత్రకథ) are comics or graphic novels originating from India published in a number of Indian languages. India has a long tradition of comic readership and themes associated ...
* The Silent Ones (miniseries)


References


External links


The Sadhu at LiquidComics.comReview for The Sadhu #01 at brokenfrontier.comReview for The Sadhu #01 at blogcritic.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadhu, The 2006 comics debuts Virgin Comics titles Virgin Comics characters Fictional British people Fictional soldiers Fantasy comics Comics characters introduced in 2006 Indian superheroes