Chacha Chaudhury fans lap up early editions at Delhi Book Fair

New Delhi, Aug 27: If numbers are anything to go by, the 20th edition of the Delhi Book Fair is witnessing a dramatic comeback of the iconic Indian

character, Chacha Chaudhary, whose creator Pran Kumar Sharma died recently.

"Our stall has seen an unprecedented footfall over the last few days and we have already sold more than three thousand copies of the Chacha Chaudhary series," Gulshan Rai, publisher, Diamond Comics, told PTI. In what could be called a fitting tribute, Diamond Comics has also republished all the early editions of the series and released them at their original price, effectively leading to a huge discount.

People visiting the fair could be seen lapping up the opportunity to purchase these comic books, with the Diamond Comics stall swarming with buyers cutting across the age spectrum, giving credence to the publisher's claim.

"I remember fighting with my siblings over who would read the comic first. Such was the craze that even during exams, I used to keep those comics underneath my textbooks, all the while pretending that I was studying," said Rachita Arora, a homemaker, taking a trip down memory lane at the Fair.

The diminutive 'Chacha', with "a brain sharper than a needle and faster than a super-computer", once had a ubiquitous presence in many Indian homes. "But like other indigenous comic characters, 'Chacha' too faded away from public memory owing to multiple distractions," Rachita added. Shivani Gupta, an avowed fan of the endearing character, said, "My son remains glued to the television watching shows like 'Chhota Bheem' when he is not busy fiddling with an app or the other on the phone. I am buying a few copies of Chacha Chaudhury, just to inculcate the habit of reading in him."

PTI