“My daughter’s hands! They’re gone!!,” screamed her Mother. A freak accident left thirteen-year-old Malvika Iyer battling for her life. She survived. But it changed her life, and her family’s, forever. A tale of unflagging courage in the face of tremendous difficulties, this true story is an inspiration and a celebration of life and love.

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The Hindu: The inspiring, resilient tale of bilateral amputee Malvika Iyer’s life, comes alive through the monochromatic sketches in Sriram Jagannathan’s graphic novel Mai.

The Times of India: In an interview with The TOI, she said “I identify myself as a survivor. For the last couple of years, I have shared many stories about how I survived the bomb blast and overcame my disability. I have talked about hope and optimism but what I never really shared with you all is what I went through, the despair and hopelessness that engulfed me during the accident. To tone down the despair, Sriram Jagannathan came with an idea of a graphic novel- a series of illustrations narrating my childhood, the accident and my life before and after it. He has done a terrific job with the graphics and I’m thrilled to share the novel with you all”.

Deccan Chronicle: Malvika has been a popular name when it comes to inclusivity, even before she turned to it academically. Having headed many TEDx talks and speeches, she recently also became the subject of a graphic novel called MAI.

The New Indian Express: Meet the invincible Malvika Iyer, whose indomitable spirit to live her life on her own terms inspired Chennaiite designer Sriram Jagannathan to pen his first book, MAI: A graphic novel.

The News Minute: When Sriram heard about Malvika Iyer for the first time from a friend, he was inspired by her resolute courage in the face of adversity. Malvika, a grenade blast survivor, is a motivational speaker and a social worker. Having lost both her hands when she was 13, Malvika is a disability rights activist today. Inspired by her spirit, Sriram decided that his first graphic novel was going to be on Malvika’s story.

Scroll: An excerpt from ‘Mai’ about how disability rights activist Malvika Iyer’s life was shattered by a bomb blast as a teenager and how she put it back together.

MAI: A Graphic Novel on Goodreads