Bankelal’s stories always immerse readers in a sea of laughter. His dream always remains the same—anyhow, to become the king of Vishalgarh. To fulfill this dream, he makes some new, crooked, and clever plan every time. “Mourning Garden(Shok vatika)” is also a wonderful story of this episode, where Bankelal’s luck not only puts him in trouble again and again, but also puts him in such a strange state that he even becomes the king of demons.
Tarun Kumar Wahi’s funny writing and Bedi ji’s excellent pictures make this story even more interesting. The world of demons, strange plants, and the slippery cunningness of Bankelal—all combine to create an atmosphere that makes laughter come out automatically while reading.
This character from Raj Comics is different because he is not an ideal ‘hero’, but a mischievous, clever, and at times self-serving person. He has received such a boon (or rather a curse) from Lord Shiva that whenever he thinks of doing bad to someone, he knowingly or unknowingly gets something good from it.
Plot and Screenplay
“Mourning Garden(Shok vatika)” itself begins with loud sarcasm and light-hearted humor. The story is based on the conflict between humans and demons, which the author has shown in a very funny manner.
In the beginning, it is shown that Raja Vikram Singh sends a proposal of peace to Dantketu, the king of demons. Here, the author’s humor is visible in its full color. The monsters accept this offer because they fear having “orange peel juice” squeezed into their eyes by humans. It is an innocent fear, which forces even dangerous demons and immediately brings a smile to the faces of the readers.
The real mess in the story begins when Rakshasraj Dantketu reaches Vishalgarh. Here, the atmosphere becomes completely a “comedy of errors.” The condition was that demons would come in the guise of humans, and humans would come in the guise of demons. Dantketu cleverly disguises himself as a woman so that he can understand the tricks of humans. But Raja Vikram Singh feels that Dantketu has sent his wife. In this misunderstanding, the commander cuts off the nose of that ‘queen’—Bani Dantketu. This incident becomes the foundation of the entire story.
Dantketu gets badly humiliated by having his nose cut. He immediately comes in his true form and kidnaps the Maharani of Vishalgarh, that is, Vikram Singh’s wife, in a plume of smoke. It is from here that Bankelal enters the story. Raja Vikram Singh clearly threatens Bankelal that if he does not bring back the queen within three days, he will be hanged with the same cut nose. The timid and comfort-loving Bankelal sets out on this mission under compulsion. This is the real fun of Bankelal’s stories—he is forcibly made a hero.
The trip of Bankelal starts from the ‘Golam River’, which has a very fast flow. On the way, he has to face many strange difficulties and strange creatures. Falling into the river, losing the sword, and then getting among the unarmed monsters creates good suspense in the story.
Reaching the demon world, Bankelal learns that the queen has been kept in the ‘Mourning Garden’. There he finds a variety of strange monsters, such as ‘Kickintu’, which is half horse and half monster, and many other elusive creatures. Bankelal dodges all this, less with his intelligence and more with the help of luck. At one place, he pretends to fight an invisible enemy, seeing which the rest of the demons themselves get scared.
The ending of the story is equally dramatic. Bankelal not only saves the queen, but also traps Dantketu in his own tricks. The fear of orange juice shown at the beginning plays an important role in the end, or rather, the same fear is taken advantage of. Eventually, Bankelal brings the Rani back safely to Vishalgarh.
Character Analysis
Bankelal: In this comic, Bankelal is seen in his absolutely familiar form. He is not a brave warrior, but a person struck by circumstances. When he is forcibly sent into the boat, he cries, is afraid, and even pleads. His true strength is not his sword or bravery, but his luck and his cunning. Like at one place, two demons fight among themselves to kill him. Bankelal does nothing special there; he just tries to save his life by hiding silently, but in the end, he wins. This timid and common man–like nature of his brings him even closer to the readers, because he seems very “relatable”.
Raja Vikram Singh: As always, the king of Vishalgarh is shown here too as an innocent and emotional ruler. His love for his wife is shown so much that he is ready to even hang himself with one “nose-cut punishment”. This is actually a satirical portrayal of his character. He trusts Bankelal blindly, while he knows very well that Bankelal often works out of compulsion, not out of wisdom.
Rakshasaraja Dantketu: Dantketu is a powerful but mentally weak villain. His wearing a female disguise and then getting his own nose cut clearly shows his foolishness. He has immense power, he is also knowledgeable about black magic, yet he appears helpless in front of simple tricks like Bankelal’s. The special thing about the villains of Raj Comics has been that they look scary as well as ridiculous.
Senapati: The role of Senapati here is mainly of comic relief and as the character who takes the story forward. His advice to “cut off the queen’s nose” becomes the biggest trouble of the whole story. It also shows how wise the king’s advisors are—this is said in complete satire.
Humor and Satire
“Mourning Garden”’s greatest strength is its humor. Author Tarun Kumar Wahi has used both words and circumstances in such a way that laughter remains constant. There is a clear glimpse of humor in the dialogues, like the demons saying that they will squeeze orange juice into the eyes of humans—it sounds innocent, but becomes an effective threat. The king’s statement that demons will not even burp after eating Bankelal because it will not fill their stomach is a great example of dark humor.
Bedi ji’s artwork makes the humor even more fun. Dantketu’s appearance in female attire with a heavy body and trying to show delicacy, or the fear-filled expressions of Bankelal in difficult situations, all these scenes automatically bring out laughter. There is also a lot of situational humor, like the king crying over his wife’s kidnapping, but choosing a small animal like a “mouse” for suicide, or demons fearing a thin human being as a superpowered warrior, while Bankelal is just looking for a way to escape. These things make the whole story very ridiculous and funny.
Drawing (Artwork)
Bedi ji’s artwork has been a hallmark of Raj Comics, especially the Bankelal series, and her work in “Mourning Garden” is equally brilliant. Bankelal’s long nose, special teeth, and mustache distinguish him in the design of the characters. The depiction of monsters is scary as well as a bit cartoonish, perfectly matching the light-hearted mood of the story. Especially the design of Dantketu, with his big horns and huge body, looks quite impressive.
The background work is also great. Views of the strange trees and plants of the monster world and the “Mourning Garden” are made in detail. The Golam River scenes show the strong flow and movement of water well through lines. The color combination is also attractive—dark colors for monsters such as purple and dark blue, and the use of common colors for humans, making the difference between the two worlds clearly visible.
Critical Analysis
Positive side:
The pace of the story is fast, so this comic doesn’t seem boring anywhere. The journey from Vishalgarh to Rakshas Lok and then back to Vishalgarh progresses rapidly. The biggest plus point of this comic is its entertainment. It just serves as fun without any heavy message; in a light manner, it shows that it is important to use your mind in times of trouble. Along with this, it is also a great vehicle of comic nostalgia, especially for the readers of the 90s, because it fully captures the simplicity, innocence, and charm of the comics of that period.
Weak links:
Being a fantasy comic, not much logic is expected in it anyway, but in some places events happen more easily than necessary. This weakens the logic a bit. For example, Bankelal’s safe escape from so many monsters without any weapons is completely left to his “luck”. Similarly, Raja Vikram Singh is shown here as an excessive fool, as ever, being a part of the series. This may be a hallmark of Bankelal comics, but it may seem a bit repetitive when seen again and again.
Specific Episodes of the Story (Highlight Moments)
There are many scenes in the story that are remembered for a long time. The nose-cutting scene is the biggest turning point of the entire comic, where both Senapati’s stupidity and Dantketu’s anger are brilliantly shown. It is very fun to see Dantketu growling in the guise of a queen and the king getting scared after seeing her.
Another interesting scene comes when Bankelal gets trapped in the forest under the illusion of an invisible enemy. He acts knowingly or unknowingly in such a way that the demons themselves become frightened and confused. The story also ends in a light-hearted manner. Finally, the scene with “puchchi” has become a trademark of Bankelal’s character. When Bankelal returns successful, the king gives him a “puchchi” by hugging him, and Bankelal’s irritation with it automatically creates laughter.
Conclusion
“Mourning Garden” is a great comic in the Bankelal series. It is nothing short of a feast for readers who are looking for a funny story, great artwork, and frankly laughable humor. The writer and painter duo has turned a simple kidnapping story into a memorable and exciting journey.
This comic reminds us once again why Raj Comics was once a part of every household in India. In it, a unique combination of Indian atmosphere, our own kind of humor, and morality can be seen. Bankelal teaches that even if you are not at the forefront of strength, if you have a sharp mind and a little luck, you can overcome even the biggest monster or problem—even if that problem is “orange juice”, even if it is as sour as it is.
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: This comic is worth reading for readers of all ages, especially those who are fond of Hindi satire and comic art. If you haven’t read it yet, then understand that you are missing a wonderful feat of Bankelal.
