‘Rustom Palowan’: Rashad Imam Tanmoy introduces a local hero to look up to

One of the most beloved mediums of entertainment for children are comic books. "Chacha Chowdhury", "Pinky", "Nonte fonte" etc. serve as elements of nostalgia for people who grew up during the haydays of comic books. Along with the rise of foreign comics for ages, Rashad Imam Tonmoy has brought a deshi story of a farmer's son through his wonderful illustrations.

The book "Rustom Palowan" was launched at Pathak Shamabesh on June 16, 2023. The event was graced by the presence of cartoonist and writer Ahsan Habib, writer Md. Nazim Uddin, and Shibu Kumar Sheel. The honourable guests highlighted the author's dedication towards his book. "Rustam Palwan" is a story of a boy who wanted to be a palowan or bodybuilder. His grandfather is a farmer and being the grandchild, Rustam was supposed to go into farming. But he rebels against it and follows his dream instead.

Rashad Imam Tonmoy is a passionate illustrator who made his debut as a children's story writer through "Rustom Palowan". Everything starting from character designing, story build-up behind each character, the animation, the trailer –all of this was a team effort of brilliant emerging illustrators and animators. The author himself has proved his workmanship through the drawings and storytelling. 

Being asked about the book, he explained that he wanted to give children a local hero figure whom they could look up to. He added that he wanted to bring back the joy of reading comics which had existed before internet connections became widespread. Nowadays, people are glued to their phones most of the time. The author wanted to create a hero of the common folk who resides in a village, and dresses in traditional clothes. And he had worked on this project for the past five years. Rashad thanked everyone who was involved with his beloved book.

"Rustom Palowan" is available at Pathak Shamabesh and it can be bought both online and offline.

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