Page 36 - NAMAH-Jan-2022

The call of the supernatural

Lopa Mukherjee

Abstract
There seems to be an efflorescence of fantasy in the collective consciousness in the twenty-first
century, if we are to judge by the number of movies and stories that are being produced in this
genre. Is this because the fantasy world is manifesting in the real world, or does it have simpler
answers such as the power of marketing? This essay explores the popularity of fantasy and its
world of occult realms, magic and other powers. It invites the reader to walk alongside the author
as she ponders on why fantasy is so widespread in the collective consciousness now.

It seems to me, in my capacity as a humanities time. Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree is still urging
teacher, that the choice of books and movies adventurous children to step across its hidden
millennials are reading and watching has threshold. This world of mystery and fantasy
changed a lot from the ones in the last is not just for children and young adults,
decades of the last century. Dickens, Tolstoy but adults too are reconnecting with them
and Salinger have bitten the dust. Heidi, in new ways.
Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables, from the
golden age of children’s literature, are seeing
their sunset. Similarly, in cinema, realistic
movies have lost their popularity for the new
generation. In fine arts too, the artist’s taste
has shifted from being a faithful imitator
of nature to the creation of works that are
difficult to appreciate with aesthetics alone.
In contrast, the stories from all ages that
played with fantasy, or something more
than the mundane everyday experience, are Every culture has fairy tales; some stories
re-surfacing. The gods of ancient Greece, are shared by many cultures, such as Peter
Scandinavia and Egypt are reappearing in Pan. Japanese anime is a world phenomenon,
fast-paced thrillers. In India, the stories from transcending language barriers and cultural
the Purannas made into TV serials steal prime norms. Disney has served the appetite for
a

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