In the year 1965, Satyajit Ray introduced young readers to a hero they could look up to, relate to, and emulate. Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series, Ray’s writing gives the Indian audience an indigenous version of the popular western hero through the protagonist Prodosh C. Mitter, popularly known as Feluda.
Fantasy fiction has intrigued the human imagination for ages. However, within the genre, masked in character arcs and allegory, there are numerous parallels to religion and folklore. These parallels have not gone unnoticed, and to this day, religious ideas in fantasy works continue to stir up debate.
The Literary, Debate and Quiz club of MIT hosted a book reading event to discuss, and analyse various authors, novels, and ideas. The initiative was well received by the reader-writer community of Manipal, who continuously exchanged ideas all through the event.
More than twenty-five years after an eleven-year-old wizard received an acceptance letter from a rather special school, millions of people remain enthralled by his fantasy world. This is J.K. Rowling’s legacy – an audience so ardent that they cling to Pottermania even into adulthood.