The Sadhu
Encyclopedia
Gotham Chopra
Gotham Chopra is an American author and entertainment/media entrepreneur. -Early life:Chopra was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Deepak Chopra. He attended Belmont Hill School...
and Jeevan Kang
Jeevan Kang
-Work:He is responsible for the artwork of the famous Spider-Man: India comic, and has been signed on by Virgin Comics, to create art for their Indian comics.-Publications:Comic work includes:*The Sadhu...
and the series is part of the Shakti line of comics published by Virgin Comics.
The plot revolves around a British soldier by the name of James Jensen who finds himself to be the reincarnated form of a powerful sage from the past. The story primarily deals with the lessons that he has to learn so as to remove his connection with his current life.
The comic book series is the first series from the Virgin line to have been confirmed for a film adaptation with Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
in the lead role.
Plot summary
In India, the British Imperial army is fighting the natives and a group of Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-like bandits called the Dakaits
Dacoity
Dacoity is a term used for "banditry" in India. The spelling is the anglicized version of the Hindi word and as a colloquial Anglo-Indian word with this meaning, also appears in the Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases Banditry is criminal activity involving robbery by groups of...
. Allied to the British are the Zamindars, landowners that find it in their interest to have the British ruling over India. A sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
by the name of Dada Thakur is directing the efforts of the Dakaits against the British and is told by a goddess that help is on the way for the Dakaits.
In England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, a young man named James is working in the docks of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his younger brother William. They are both unemployed and looking for work and have to fight other job-seekers to get a place on the ships. His brother gets a job on a certain ship and while James bids him farewell, he is approached by a soldier who offers him a chance to join the Imperial army in India. Although reluctant at first, James agrees after finding that his wife, Tess, is pregnant.
A brutal colonel by the name of Timothy Townsend is the commanding officer in charge in India. Due to numerous mutinies erupting within the colony, he is requested to postpone his retirement. He works for the East India company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
company in the vicinity of the Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
province.
James arrives in India and one day accidentally stumbles upon a temple of Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, the goddess of Death. There he finds a brief moment of spiritual epiphany and a feeling that his destiny is somehow intertwined with this foreign land. His wife also bears him a boy called Jack. James is trained within the army but he is found to be unfitting as a soldier and Colonel Townsend is particularly displeased with him. One night, while drunk, Townsend berates him and attempts to entice James' wife which forces James to publicly rebuke the colonel angering him in the process.
The next day, James is ordered by the colonel to shoot an Indian soldier who disobeyed orders. When James refuses, he is taken away and beaten up and to further exacerbate the situation, the Colonel brings in his wife and sexually assaults her. Within a short while, he kills her and James' son in front of him. James is buried alive but with the help of one of his fellow soldiers, he manages to flee the military unit. While escaping within the jungle, he finds a band of Indian killers whose leader (Dada Thakur) saves him by using vast reality manipulation
Reality warping
Reality warping is a superpower in superhero fiction. It is the ability to reshape matter and energy, create or alter life forms, turn a person's thoughts or desires into reality, simulate any and all other powers and abilities, bend time and space, and possibly even rewrite the laws of physics.All...
powers to shrink James to the size of an atom. The shaman, Dada Thakur, declares James to be "the one" and tells him that James was once his mentor.
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Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and that the East India company wants him to firmly secure the region as it is a key producer of opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
that is sold to China.
James wakes up and finds himself in a Bengali village. Dada Thakur says that he had once promised to help James "remember" himself (back when James was the Sadhu). Dada Thakur orders James to be attacked (through sticks and bullets) but James' unconscious mystical powers awaken and protect him. James becomes impressed when Dada Thakur heals a wounded boy and also when Dada Thakur repels a contingent of British soldiers by freezing their bullets in mid-air and by unleashing a wave of energy through a third eye on his forehead. He requests to be trained in the same arts and Dada accepts his request.
James begins his training with Dada Thakur who tells him that reality is ultimately a perception
Simulated reality
Simulated reality is the proposition that reality could be simulated—perhaps by computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds which may or may not be fully aware that they are living inside a simulation....
and hence through his mind, he can change what he perceives. Also, since he creates reality by perceiving it, Dada tells James that he is ultimately responsible for the deaths of his family and the deaths of anyone else. He learns how to obtain enhanced speed, phasing, advanced fighting capability, time manipulation and even absolute concentration. He is also told by Dada that one day he will betray the shaman. After three years, James ends his training abruptly as the desire to seek vengeance from Townsend grows beyond control within him.
James visits an English university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
where a professor, known for his knowledge of occult studies, is lecturing about Sadhus. After demonstrating that he can fly to the unbelieving professor, James asks the professor for information about a "demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
Sadhu" that he believes to be present within the country.
James then goes to an inn and ignoring the advances of a prostitute, he goes to meet the owner who happens to be his brother, William. A bar fight ensues which is stopped when the owner of the entire establishment comes and kills a worker who was apparently stealing. He exits the place by simply vanishing and James pursues his trail. He catches up with the coach of this demon Sadhu and he finds that the person is none other than Colonel Townsend. James was aware of this and he challenges Townsend to a fight but because of his lack of experience, he finds himself easily beaten. His battered body is taken in by the English university professor whose daughter is also aware of James' powers and who subsequently nurses him.
The professor tells James that Townsend may have gone to a Kali temple and therein worshiped the destructive side of the goddess thus becoming a demon Sadhu. James takes his leave after being informed by the professor's daughter that Townsend has established a deep power base within the London underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
.
James meets his brother and tells him of Tess's death and Townsend's part in it but William refuses to take him to the Colonel for fear of being killed. James publicly demands Townsend to confront him and later that night evades an assassination attempt in his sleep. His brother comes to meet him to try and dissuade him from his goal but James refuses to listen to the advice and continues in his quest.
Reception
The comic series has generally been well received with comparisons being made to Neil GaimanNeil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's Sandman
Sandman (Vertigo)
The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. Beginning with issue #47, it was placed under the imprint Vertigo. It chronicles the adventures of Dream , who rules over the world of dreams. It ran for 75 issues from January 1989 until March 1996...
(another series focused on an individual character). The artwork has especially been praised for its surreal aspects. The use of Hindu history and mythology
Hindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
alongside many fantasy elements has been said to have brought out a fresh approach within the comic series.
Continuation
The story of Sadhu continues with two 5 issue miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, sequel The Silent Ones, and third part The Wheel of Destiny.
James Jensen
James Jensen is an Englishman who moved to India in order to work under the British army. However, after his family's murder, he meets an enigmatic mystic by the name of Dada Thakur who tells him that he was a sadhu before he was James Jenson. Finding that he possesses mystical powers, James decided to obtain vengeance and thus embarked on a quest to find his family's killer.Colonel Timothy Townsend
Colonel Timothy Townsend is a brutal commander leading the British contingent in India. After murdering James' family, he prays to the dark side of the Indian goddess Kali thus becoming blessed with extreme powers. He becomes a demon Sadhu in the process and manages to become a dominant force within the London crime scene. It is stipulated that he is indirectly responsible for James' conversion to a Sadhu.Dada Thakur
Dada Thakur is a shaman who leads a band of Dakaits against the British. However, he is also revealed to have been a pupil of James in the past (back when he was a sadhu) thus being a minor, but powerful, Sadhu. He takes it upon himself to train James and to also help him "remember" himself. Dada Thakur has also revealed of knowing that James will betray him in the future, a claim that James refuses.Tess Jensen
Tess is James' wife who goes with him to India. She is pregnant with a boy called Jack and within months, she is pregnant with another baby. She is forcibly taken and almost raped by Colonel Timothy Townsend who subsequently kills her in front of James.William Jensen
William is James' younger brother. He stays behind in London while his brother goes to the East. He eventually ends up running an inn under Colonel Townsend.Themes
The Sadhu is very much based on Eastern (HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
) concepts such as karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
, shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
(the female embodiement of the Goddess) and the four stages of living. It is revealed that the Sadhu is a force for good recruited by the goddess and that his entire life is a preparation for this conversion.
The idea of reality being a perception plays a dominant role as James constantly confesses to a feeling of familiarity when he should be a stranger to the foreign lands that he visits. Moreover, brief asides and notes at the ends of each issue (by Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on...
) further demonstrate the spiritual nature of the story.
As explained in the four stages of living, the sadhu is the embodiment of the final stage of living where emotional attachment and worldy ties are abandoned. Thus, the death of James' family was a necessary component for James' conversion into the Sadhu.
The Sadhu is also said to be a "seeker" who goes through life trying to find the reason for his existence. In the comics, this is further backed up as even before reaching India, James Jenson felt that "India was already somehow already a part of me".
Film adaptation
Nicolas Cage will not be starring in this movie, and it might be produced by the people of 300Collections
The series is being collected as trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- When Realities Collide (196 pages, July 2007, ISBN 1-934413-03-8)