India’s First Female Superhero Takes On Covid-19 In “Priya’s Mask”
Priya – India’s first female superhero, embarks on a mission to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the latest comic and short movie “Priya’s Mask.”
She befriends a little girl named Meena to show her the sacrifices made by frontline healthcare workers and instill the power of courage and compassion during this difficult time. Along with her tiger Sahas, Priya explains the importance of wearing a mask and working together to help end the pandemic around the world. She teams up with Pakistan’s female superhero, Burka Avenger, to foil her arch-enemy from infecting her city with the potent virus.
The short animated film, “Priya’s Mask” is an important testament to the courage of women healthcare workers and will help educate people about the virus. An international array of actors and leaders lend their voices to this important film including Vidya Balan, Mrunal Thakur, Sairah Kabir, and Rosanna Arquette. The movie has been written by Shubhra Prakash.
The original comic series, Priya’s Shakti was born after the Nirbhaya rape in Delhi in 2012.
There was an enormous outcry in particular from young adults and teenagers —both women and men. Many people felt a cultural shift had to happen, especially views towards the role of women in modern society. Deep-rooted patriarchal views needed to be challenged. As a result, a new Indian “superhero” – Priya, who was a rape survivor was created, and through the power of persuasion, she is able to motivate people to change.
This first story was specifically constructed to address the problem of blaming victims of sexual violence and provided a character, Priya, who could inspire change throughout communities by appealing to audiences — especially youth — with an empathetic narrative. Priya’s story became a powerful voice in the global movement for women’s rights and a symbol of solidarity against gender-based violence and continuing with the #MeToo movement. The creators of the comic book were honored by UN Women as “gender equality champions.”
