‘Son of Tausi and Satan‘ (Issue No. 376), Tulsi Comics is an important link in the creative era of comics, focusing on Tausi, the wishful serpent king of Sarpadesh, who has supernatural powers with divyastras and six secret wishful powers. This work by writer Rituraj and painters Rahi Kadam and Darshana Thigale is more than a simple fantasy tale; it presents a wonderful blend of mythology, science fiction, and a complex family drama. The comics take Tausi on an intense adventure where he faces an enemy who is connected to all three—his past, present, and future—adding depth and a personal stake to the story. This review is an attempt to delve deeper into the plot, characters, and art of this comic and refresh the memories of the comics of that period.
The Intricate Checkerboard of a Kidnapping
The story begins in the Rajya Sabha of Emperor Tausi in Sarpadesh. The atmosphere is serious, as a spy named ‘Gandiva’ is presented before the emperor. The General Secretary alleges that Gandiva, who came from an unknown world, was trying to get information about Tausi’s secret powers and Brahmastras. When Tausi gives him the opportunity to speak for himself, Gandiva’s revelations leave the entire Rajya Sabha stunned.
Gandiva not only accepts all the charges against him, but he audaciously declares that his real motive is to kidnap Tausi. Hearing this, the courtiers ridicule him (“This mouth and lentils!”), but their ridicule is momentary. Gandiva breaks his chains in the blink of an eye and takes the entire Rajya Sabha captive, except Tausi, with an elusive loop.
Here begins the first major struggle of the story. Tausi, who is angry to see his courtiers in distress, challenges Gandiva. Tausi cuts Gandiva’s elusive loop with his Divyastra. Gandiva also turns out to be an equal warrior and foils Tausi’s next weapon with his Divyastra named ‘Kataka’. When Tausi understands that this enemy is not ordinary, he invokes the ‘captive flag’, one of his six secret powers. Pakdhvaja, who is capable of gripping anyone, ties Gandiva in his loop.
Here is the first revelation of the story. As soon as Gandiva sees the flag, he recognizes that Tausi himself has received weapons from Sheshnag and that he is the first wishful serpent in the universe who is equipped with these weapons. Knowing his defeat is certain, Gandiva makes a suicidal move. He emits a black smoke that spreads throughout the Rajya Sabha and leaves everyone, including Tausi, ‘root zero’ (completely paralyzed).
After this, the main villain of the comic, ‘Seijura’, enters the stage. Disembarking from a plane, he reveals himself to be the son of a devil from Devlok and the wife of ‘Jean-18’. He reveals that Gandiva was a ‘powerful effigy’ sent by him, whose job was to test Tausi’s powers. Seijura’s real motive is to kidnap Tausi and take him to his father ‘Kalmina’, who murdered Tausi’s wife Tassi’s father (Jean-18). (Here’s a deeper reference for Tausi fans who know Tausi and Jean-18’s complicated relationship).
The entire Rajya Sabha is paralyzed, and Tausi is helpless. Then the commander of Sarpadesh arrives to give this information to Tausi’s guru ‘Nagbaba’. Nagbaba immediately reaches the scene and has a fierce battle with Seijura. Seijura, who is a mixture of the powers of Devlok and Jinn-lok, overshadows Nagbaba, but his main objective is not to fight, but to take Tausi. With the help of his ‘Kalu Jinn’, he picks up the crippled Tausi and takes him to an ‘unknown palace’, which is in a secret location via waterways.
Nagbaba follows Seijura to that palace. There they see that Tausi is still in the root state. Nagbaba recognizes from his knowledge that Gandiva’s smoke has captured Tausi’s ‘Sushumna Nadi’ and ‘Jeevana Shakti Dhara’. He frees Tausi from this state by pressing a secret pulse of his brain.
Upon regaining consciousness, Tausi is furious and talks about taking vengeance on Seijura. At the same time, he goes to Devlok and reveals his old desire to free Jean-18 (whose soul Kalmina has imprisoned). Nagbaba stops him, but Tausi summons a jinn from one of his secret wishful powers and assigns him two tasks: first, to discover Seijura’s weakness, and second, to take charge of Sarpadesh if Tausi does not return from Devlok.
As Tausi and Nagbaba leave the palace, Seijura attacks them again. He makes Nagbaba unconscious in one blow. Now Tausi and Seijura have their final match. Seijura creates his six ‘shadow bodies’ with his illusory powers. Tausi becomes confused in recognizing the real Seijura. Then Tausi’s sent genie (Vishbheda) reveals to him the identity of the real Seijura.
Tausi immediately orders his ‘Pakdhwaj’, and the real Seijura is captured.
The story doesn’t end here. After becoming a captive, Seijura expresses a last wish. He says that he wants to see the body of his father Jean-18, who is kept safe by Tausi in the prison of Sarpadesh. Nagbaba and Tausi accept his wish.
But when they get to the prison, Jean-18’s body has disappeared from there! Before Tausi can understand anything, he hears the voice of Seijura, who is still imprisoned. Seijura explains that this is his power; he has made his father’s body invisible and sent it to an unknown place in his plane. He warns Tausi that now he (Seijura) must come to Devlok to recover Jean-18’s body.
The comic ends on a spectacular cliffhanger, where Tausi now faces a double challenge: punishing Seijura and bringing back Jean-18’s body. This lays a great foundation for the next issue, ‘Tausi and the Comets’.
Analytical Overview
Tulsi Comics’ work “Tausi Aur Shaitan Ka Beta” is an important link in the golden age of Indian comics, successfully blending mythology, science fiction, and complex family drama. The story begins with the intricate checkerboard of the kidnapping of Emperor Tausi of Sarpadesh, where a powerful effigy named Gandiva tests Tausi’s powers and paralyzes him. The main villain Seijura (son of Devlok’s devil and Jean-18’s wife) then appears, with the motive of revenge by taking Tausi to his father, revealing Tausi’s struggle of duty to Jean-18. Tausi is freed from a paralyzed state by his mentor Nagbaba, which is followed by a final showdown between Tausi and Seijura, where Tausi cunningly imprisons Seijura. However, Seijura makes the body of Tausi’s wife’s father, Jean-18, invisible by making a final move and challenges Tausi to come to Devlok, ending this comic on a powerful cliffhanger, creating a great premise for the next issue.
Art and Portraiture (Artwork)
Rahi Kadam and Darshana Thigale’s illustrations reflect the distinctive style of 90s Tulsi Comics. Their portraiture in ‘Tausi Aur Shaitan Ka Beta’ showcases the typical art of that era, where dynamic paneling has been employed in action sequences, especially in Tausi’s depiction of Divyastras and the impressive design of ‘Pakdhwaj’. The character design is robust, with Tausi’s majestic form, Nagbaba’s ascetic brilliance, and Seijura’s monstrous, pointed-horned form giving each character a unique identity; especially the panel with Seijura’s shadow bodies is finely executed. The use of colors is vibrant, which was the hallmark of an era where dark colors for the underworld and bright, explosive colors for the clash of Divyastras effectively set the mood of the story. However, there are some drawbacks, such as a lack of detail in the background and the flat faces of secondary characters such as courtiers, which can be seen in terms of the limitations of printing and production of the time. Yet, the overall artwork provides a strong foundation for the comic’s dynamic narrative.
Writing and Dialogue
Rituraj’s writing is tight and fast-paced. The story doesn’t stop even for a moment. Starting with the Rajya Sabha, it progresses rapidly to the kidnapping, the entry of a new villain, the discovery of a mysterious palace, and a final showdown. The dialogues are dramatic and effective. Idiomatic expressions like “This mouth and lentils!” give a desi touch to the story. The conversation between Tausi and Seijura is not limited to fighting but also reveals their personal history and motives.
The biggest feature of this comic is its ‘world-building’. It seamlessly weaves the worlds of Hades, Devlok, Jinn Lok, and Satan into a single plot. This makes Tausi’s universe very vast and full of possibilities.
Conclusion
‘Son of Tausi and Satan’ is not just a comic; it is a testament to the creative pinnacle of Tulsi Comics. It is a successful attempt to cover a complex plot, with multiple layers of characters and deep mythology, in just 32 pages.
This comic elevates Tausi from a simple wishful serpent to the level of a cosmic warrior, who not only protects Hades but is also embroiled in the complex conflicts of other realms. As a villain, Seijura gives Tausi an enemy who is not only his equal in power but also personally connected to him.
Both art and writing are of a high standard for that era. Its cliffhanger ending is so powerful that the reader will immediately want to find the next issue, ‘Tausi and the Comet’. It is an invaluable heritage for fans of Indian comics and is as exciting and entertaining today as it was at the time of its publication. It is reminiscent of a period when imagination knew no bounds and every page opened the door to a new adventure.
