What can almost bring down a government can do lots more.  Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), a global leader in the online gaming industry, has teamed up with Sir Richard Branson and Deepak Chopra’s Virgin Comics to bring the popular, India-based Ramayan 3392 A.D. comic book universe to life as an MMO video game, initially for the PC. Ramayan was released as a comic in late 2006.

According to Chopra it will take a new generation  into new realms of mystery, magic, adventure and transformation. SOE will develop and publish an MMO based on Ramayan’s story. Virgin’s creative involvement with SOE’s game development team will be spearheaded by its President and head, Suresh Seetharaman.
 
Snake woman comics

Here’s some undiluted India exotica far removed from the present day scenario of air conditioned call centres and  Barista cafes. Virgin Comic’s story of Devi created by Shekhar Kapur involves Tara Mehta, a native of the mythic Indian city of Sitapur, who becomes the centerpiece of a divine battle between the Gods of Light that created her, and the demon Lord Bala.

Trapped in a cycle of reincarnation since the early 18th century, Snake Woman is the story of one woman and sixty-eight men struggling with their own karmic bonds, all triggered by the curse of an angry Naga, or Snake Goddess. As punishment for the murder of the Snake Goddess’ consort, the King Cobra, these 68 men—part of a British fortune hunting expedition, plundering the Kabini jungles of India—are cursed to eternal reincarnation, to be hunted by a woman imbued with the powers of the Snake Goddess.

Cage, reincarnated!

There is a strong buzz that the hulky Nicolas Cage is going to star in a movie based on The Sadhu, a comic book created by Gotham Chopra and Jeevan Kang. The plot revolves around a British soldier James Jenson who finds himself to be the reincarnated form of a sage from the past.

It is liberally dotted with temples of Kali, etched as the goddess of death, murder and revenge, and an Indian killer called Dada Thakur who can use the power of reality manipulation to shrink people to the size of an atom and freeze bullets in midair. Enough to make any self respecting Indian see red.