Review by Muneeba Chowdhury and Taqbiir Al-Mu’izz Yousuf 

What would you do if you always felt out of place and your dreams and aspirations clashed with your family traditions? “Rustom Palowan The Origin Story” tackles that very question with a positive outcome! It is a comic book series that tells the story of a goofy, adolescent boy named Rustom who lives in the beautiful village of Shonapur. Rustom is a farmer’s grandson, but he has big dreams and ambitions beyond farming. He wants to become a bodybuilder or “palowan”, a strong and muscular individual who is respected and admired in his community.

The first part of the series follows Rustom’s journey as he pursues his passion for bodybuilding, facing various challenges and obstacles along the way. Despite the odds, Rustom remains determined and dedicated to his goal, inspired by his idol, a famous bodybuilder.

The various plots entail:

– Rustom’s clumsiness: Rustom is a misfit who bumbles and fumbles, making a mess whenever he tries to do farm work, unlike the rest of the villagers who take pride in their farming skills.

– Secret dream: Despite his awkward ways, Rustom has a secret dream of becoming a strongman Palwan and traveling the world and the seven seas.

– Village disapproval: Rustom’s dream is not tolerated by the villagers, who have a creed against fighting and strongmen.

– Quest for destiny: Rustom sets out on a journey to discover his true potential and seek the secrets of his destiny, despite the village’s disapproval.

– Self-discovery: Through his journey, Rustom learns to embrace his uniqueness and find his true strength, which ultimately leads him to become the strongman, Palowan, he always dreamed of being.

The story explores themes of self-acceptance, perseverance, and following one’s dreams, despite societal expectations and norms.

As for illustrations, the color palette is bright and saturated, with a focus on earthy tones that reflect the rural setting of Shonapur.

Some notable features of the illustration style include:

⁃ Exaggerated facial expressions and body language, adding to the comedic and dramatic moments
⁃ Intricate details in the backgrounds, showcasing the rural landscape and village architecture of Bangladesh
⁃ Incorporation of Bengali cultural elements, such as traditional clothing and architecture, adding to the story’s authenticity and cultural richness.
⁃ Use of Bangla “onomatopoeia” words that phonetically imitate, resemble, or suggest the sound that they describe

We loved it’s engaging storyline, colorful illustrations, and memorable characters—promoting positive values and encouraging young readers to pursue their passions, just like Rustom Palowan. We can’t wait to find out what happens in the next part of the series!

Video Animation Rustom Palowan: বাংলা কমিক্স

Title Information: Rustom Palowan 1
Author: Rashad Imam Tanmoy
ISBN: 978-984-96843-1-2
Publisher: Cartoon People Comics
Language: English & Bangla

Author (& Illustrator) Bio: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy (or Tanmoy) is an editorial cartoonist and comic book artist from Bangladesh. Currently he is working for Dhaka Tribune, one of the English dailies of the country. Alongside, he is also an associate editor for “Unmad”, the longest running South Asian satire magazine. He is also the founder of “Cartoon People Comics”. For more: www.facebook.com/tanmoycartoons 

Translator Bio: Sabrina Fatma Ahmad is a creative writer and journalist with over 20 years of experience in features. She has also taught media writing at the undergrad level and conducted and moderated writing workshops throughout this time. She has managed teams and mentored writers and editors and enjoy working with creative minds.

Books: Sehri Tales, Worthy Publications, ISBN: 9789846050098, 2018

Graphics:

Shahadat Hossain is a specialised Graphic Designer. He is certified from Creative IT (BD).

Reviewer Bio: Muneeba Chowdhury and Taqbiir Al-Mu’izz Yousuf are a mother-son duo of voracious readers. Other than being bibliophiles, Muneeba spends her time doing everything math-related (Actuary by profession, puzzle solver by avocation) & Taqbiir spends his time drawing comics and staying away from anything math-related (Mom is equally concerned and happy about this future 4th grader).

Curator of the #BangladeshiLitMonth at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative:

Erin Wilson currently works as a Teacher Librarian at International School Dhaka, Bangladesh and has worked internationally for 10 years in the following countries; China, India, and now Bangladesh. She has vast experience working in diverse cultures from Native American students to inner-city students and the international community. Her other passion lies in studying Asian dances. Currently she is focused on Odissi classical dance, and uses this dance vocabulary for storytelling in the library to actively engage children. It’s never boring in the library. 

You can follow the school where she works, International School Dhaka Instagram: @ isd_library

Opinions expressed in posts on this site are the individual author’s and are not indicative of the views of Global Literature in Libraries Initiative.