Insaani Pari (Peripheral Angel)

Illustrator – Tadam Gyadu (PencilDude)

Author – Mohit Sharma (Trendster)

Colorist – Harendra Saini

Cover Colorist – Dheeraj Dkboss Kumar

Calligrapher – Youdhveer Singh

© Freelance Talents (2016), all rights reserved.

Tribute Comic

This short biographical comic is based on the true life story of Neerja Bhanot (7

September, 1963-5 September, 1986), a flight purser with Pan Am Airlines. She

worked as a model, and later as a flight purser, but her private life was far from

glamorous. She had an early arranged marriage, which was marred by spousal

abuse with frequent demands for dowry and even forced starvation. Fed up

with the constant mental and physical abuse, she left her husband. Later on,

she applied for a job as flight purser at Pan Am. She got selected, trained, and

took the job.

On 5 Sep, 1986, the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73, on which she was on board staff,

was hijacked by terrorists affiliated with Abu Nidal Organisation, in Karachi,

where it landed. The terrorists asked the flight staff to collect the passports of

the passengers on board so that they could identify the Americans whom they

intended to kill. Neerja managed to hide the passports of 41 Americans on

board, and thus saved their lives. A few hours later, when the terrorists got

tired with the whole operation, they decided to kill everyone on the plane.

Neerja succeeded in slipping off a few passengers and the pilots through the

emergency exit, while she herself died of bullet wounds whilst trying to save

some children. She deliberately chose not to escape, even when she had her

chance, just so that she could save others. She was only 22 when she died. She

received India’s highest civilian gallantry award, Ashok Chakra, Tamgha -e-

Insaniyat, from Pakistan and Special Courage Award (United States

Department of Justice) posthumously. Her murderers were captured and

sentenced, some of whom succeeded in escaping.

This comic does not focus on the aftermath of her death in the hijacking event.

It only tries to depict the inspirational story of Neerja as a graphic narrative, in

particular her struggles, and the events which happened during the hijacking

incident.

Variant Cover

Upcoming Comic: Jug Jug Maro

Artist: Abhilash Panda, Writer: Mohit Trendster