In a newly released comic book, titled ‘Priya’s mask’, the issue of
COVID-19 and the psychological toll the disease takes on people, has recently caught
on to public attention as it travels far and wide from Mumbai to Maryland.

In a report by NDTV, the producer of the project, Washington DC-based
Monica Samtani, explains that the expression was originally put forward by a
girl to her uncle, who further passed it on to the writer of the comic book and
eventually the latter integrated it into the story.

Also read: How India dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

‘I have no one to tell my feelings to”, according to Samtani, is one
of the most powerful parts of the story as it offers an acknowledgement of the
mental health issues children have been experiencing during the pandemic.

She further claims that the appeal of the line is universal as people ‘understand
the loneliness’.

‘Priya’s Mask’ and a short, animated film along with it, are part of a
cross-continental collaboration to curb the spread of coronavirus and since the
project’s debut in December 2, has gained significance internationally.

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The main character, Priya, and her flying tiger named ‘Sahas’, have
been celebrated by fans across the world. 17-year-old Maddie
Kemp from Bethesda, Maryland reportedly created an illustration wherein marigold
flowers surround the characters, with a banner below them reading ‘Power of Priya’.

Samtani, formerly a television anchor, recalling her experience from
the 1990’s when no other South Asian women prominently featured in any news
networks, said she did not hesitate as soon as she got the call about the
project in August. She further described Priya as “representative of girls of
colour all over the world”.