Absolute Jafar by Sarnath Banerjee is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel that follows Brighu Sen, a restless walker and recurring character from Banerjee’s 2004 work Corridor, as he reflects on love, migration, fatherhood, and the idea of home. At its heart is an Indo-Pak romance that survives years of political hostility, only to unravel after the couple move to Berlin. Their son, Jafar, grows up disconnected from the imagined homeland his father tries to preserve through bedtime stories filled with djinns, street food, and family lore. Set across Delhi, Karachi, and Berlin (with detours to Tokyo, Kolkata, and Chicago), the book explores how borders and memory shape identity and relationships. Richly layered yet super accessible, Absolute Jafar, published by HarperCollins India, is exactly the sort of book that invites discussion, making it the perfect pick for our book club this month.
So, what’s so special about Absolute Jafar?
While graphic novels often make readers think of Japanese manga, Absolute Jafar is a reminder of just how rich the Indian graphic novel tradition can be. It’s also the first graphic novel we’ve picked for The Nod Book Club, making it a fitting introduction to the format. Banerjee’s mix of charcoal sketches and muted watercolours gives every page a lived-in, nostalgic quality. It’s the kind of book that rewards rereading because every revisit reveals a tiny visual detail, a joke tucked into the background or a reference you may have missed the first time.
But the illustrations aren’t the only thing that make the book memorable. Even as Banerjee takes on themes like migration, bureaucracy, and Indo-Pak relations, the story never feels weighed down by them. Instead, it’s anchored by a cast of eccentric, deeply human characters who bring warmth and humour to every chapter. There’s MS Sivaraman, the elusive joint secretary at Jaisalmer House, whom Banerjee likens to the mystical Jhule Lal, floating on a fish and appearing only when all hope seems lost. Then there’s Aggie, whose lively three-bedroom DDA apartment becomes the backdrop to unforgettable parties. It’s these wonderfully observed people, as much as the politics or the romance, that make Absolute Jafar feel so alive.
Why should I pick it up?
If your mid-year reading goal has hit a slump, Absolute Jafar is the right book to get you back into the habit. At just over 250 pages, one can comfortably finish the book over a weekend. Though the story moves between Delhi, Karachi, and Berlin, it’s Delhi that lingers the longest. Banerjee, whose work has captured life in Delhi through graphic novels like Corridor (2004) and All Quiet in Vikaspuri (2015), returns to his favourite muse with his sixth book. Through landmarks like Hotel Broadway, Havemore, and Lodhi Garden, Banerjee crafts what feels like a love letter to the capital. One of the most striking panels is devoted entirely to the Delhi Metro gliding past the towering Jhandewalan Hanuman Mandir, a simple image that instantly transports anyone who’s ever commuted through the capital city.
Master of nostalgia and documentarian of India of the ’80s and ’90s, the writer-illustrator has in the past dedicated exhibits celebrating the mundane through nostalgia-fuelled works. In this book too, such mundane things turn memorable in Banerjee’s hands. There is an illustrated panel around the now-shuttered dingy bar, Thugs at Hotel Broadway, which brings alive a pop culture icon as a relic of the time. In the same book, a chapter on navigating bureaucracy comes packed with his signature wonderfully dry humour. Waiting endlessly in a government corridor, Brighu remarks, “We sat at the end of a long corridor. From our bench, we watched the seasons change. In front of us was a ficus sapling. We saw it grow up and become a chartered accountant.” It’s this ability to find comedy in the everyday that makes Absolute Jafar such a delightful read.
About the author
Sarnath Banerjee is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the Indian graphic novel. Born in Kolkata and now based in Berlin, he studied Image and Communication at Goldsmiths College in London. His debut graphic novel, Corridor (2004), was commissioned through a fellowship awarded by the MacArthur Foundation and first introduced readers to Brighu Sen, the character who returns in Absolute Jafar. Today, Banerjee lives just a stone’s throw away from his son, who lives with his former partner, an experience that informs the emotional core of Absolute Jafar. Across his work, Banerjee blends history, politics, memoir, and everyday urban life with his distinctive visual style and understated humour.
