The eighties in the history of Raj Comics was a time when the character of ‘Nagraj’ was slowly evolving. The pairing of writer Parshuram Sharma and painter Sanjay Ashtaputra not only limited Nagraj to India, but also made him an international-level ‘crime fighter’. An important comic of this series is ‘Nagraj’s Visit to Hong Kong’ (Nagraj Ki Hong Kong Yatra).
This comic is reminiscent of the period when martial arts and Hong Kong’s action cinema were in huge craze all over the world. This journey of Nagraj is full of espionage, revenge, and brilliant martial arts tricks.
Meeting on the Plane and the Mystery of the Silver Land
The story begins with an international flight, where Nagraj has set out on a mission to eliminate terrorist gangs around the world. On the plane, he meets ‘Miss Takashi’. Takashi looks like an ordinary girl, but Nagraj understands from his sixth sense that she is in great danger.
Here it is revealed that Takashi is actually the princess of ‘Silver Land’. Her father, King Tokama, has been murdered by Asia’s biggest gangster ‘Chango’, and now Chango wants to take over Silver Land. Takashi has reached Hong Kong, which is the main base of Chango, to save her life. This very beginning of the story creates curiosity in the minds of the readers whether Nagraj will be able to get justice for the princess of an unknown country.
Infiltration at Hong Kong Airport and Chango’s Den
Chango’s men kidnap Takashi as soon as she arrives in Hong Kong. Nagraj, who was watching Takashi, immediately gets into action. He hypnotizes a taxi driver to reach Chango’s secret hideout, ‘Chango Enterprises’.
Nagraj’s detective skills can be seen here. He takes off his overcoat and ties it like a belt and crawls up the walls to reach the upper floors of the building. The depiction of these powers of Nagraj in the comics of the eighties was quite impressive. He was not just a superhero, but is seen working like a skilled ‘Ninja’.
Snake Fighter vs Chango’s Commandos
When Nagraj encounters armed guards at Chango’s hideout, he demonstrates his unique powers. He uses a ‘poisonous hiss’ (Snake Breath) to knock enemies unconscious. The clever way Nagraj hypnotizes the in-charge after capturing the control room and gets orders to free Takashi makes that scene quite exciting.
Chango, who considers himself the uncrowned king of Asia, is shocked that a single person is challenging such a big empire. He mistakes Nagraj for a ‘magician’, which appears again and again in this story.
Master Suzuki and School of Martial Arts
After freeing Takashi, Nagraj takes her to ‘Master Suzuki’. Suzuki is an old friend of Takashi’s father and a great master of martial arts (kung fu and karate). Here comes a new twist in the story. Master Suzuki doubts Nagraj’s ability and asks him to compete with his students.
This is the part of the comic where readers get to see great ‘fight choreography’. Nagraj easily defeats Suzuki’s best students with his ‘snake-style’ fighting. Master Suzuki is amazed to see this and considers Nagraj as ‘Snake Fighter’ and ‘Master of Kung-Fu’.
A Tragic End and the Flame of Revenge: The Sacrifice of Master Suzuki
The story becomes serious when Chango’s goons attack Suzuki’s school. Master Suzuki loses his life trying to save Takashi. Suzuki’s death becomes the most emotional twist of this story.
Suzuki has a beloved disciple and son-like character—’Shango’. Shango is a very powerful and angry warrior. Shango burns in the fire of revenge after seeing Suzuki’s corpse. He sets out to find Chango’s killers, using the ring given by his master as the basis of identification.
Rise of Shango: A New Rival or Partner?
The character of Shango comes out as the biggest discovery of this comic series. He is a warrior who is very proud of his strength. He reaches Silver Land and disguises himself as a labor leader to shake Chango’s empire. Shango’s style sounds a lot like that of an anti-hero.
Here readers see that Chango has enslaved the people of Silver Land. Shango unites the workers even while enduring whipping. He wants to reach the murderer through a ring. It is here in the story that a misunderstanding arises, pitting Shango against Nagraj.
Silver Land Politics and Conspiracy of Chango
Chango is not just a punk, but a villain with a cunning mind. He knows that it is difficult to defeat warriors like Shango and Nagraj directly. So he plans to make them fight among themselves. The atmosphere of Silver Land is troubled by the atrocities of Chango, and the people there are waiting for a messiah.
Nagraj also arrives in Silver Land in disguise with Takashi. He helps the people there, but Shango starts to think of him as an enemy because he thinks that Nagraj is the murderer of his guru (or is connected to him).
Art and Portraiture
Sanjay Ashtaputra’s work is brilliant in this comic. He has beautifully shown the buildings of Hong Kong, the atmosphere of the School of Martial Arts, and the tribal surroundings of Silver Land. The effect of movement in the action scenes is such that when Nagraj or Shango attacks, the ‘motion’ is clearly visible in the pictures, and Chango’s cruelty and Shango’s anger are clearly visible on their faces through the expressions of the characters. Also, the choice of bright colors and excellent coloring according to that era makes this entire comic visually quite attractive.
Dialogue and Screenplay
Parshuram Sharma has kept the dialogues short but impressive. Nagraj says, “When the time comes, you will know what I am” — which shows his mysterious power. Also, the dialogues highlighting the importance of martial arts greatly inspired the youth of that period. The pace of the story is quite fast, which quickly moves the reader from one page to another.
Cliffhanger: Nagraj and Shango Face Off
The comic ends on a spectacular cliffhanger. On one side is Nagraj, who wants justice, and on the other side is Shango, who has become blind in the fire of revenge. Both warriors are standing in front of each other, and they feel that the other person is the culprit.
On the last page it is written— “Nagraj and Shango”. This further increases the curiosity of the readers for the next part.
Conclusion: Why Read This Comic?
‘Nagraj’s Hong Kong Trip’ is not just a superhero comic, but a suspense-thriller story that takes readers into the world of international politics and martial arts. Suzuki’s school scenes are quite exciting for those who love martial arts, while for 90s readers it is a great way to refresh their memories. In the story, a strong villain like Chango uses his mind and network more than his physical strength, which makes it more interesting.
Shango is introduced in this comic, and that big series begins in which the famous clash between Nagraj and Shango is seen later on. This presentation of Raj Comics seems as fresh today as it was decades ago, and this is what firmly establishes Nagraj as a ‘world-class’ hero.
