Tinkle, Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty are pushing comics and workouts to keep coronavirus from driving people crazy

• Parks, schools, and playgrounds have been shut all over India to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
• Amar Chitra Katha Studio is offering a free one-month subscription to Tinkle and other comic apps to help battle the boredom.
• Celebrities like Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty are sharing workouts on social media to help burn off excess energy from being stuck at home and build up immunity.

It’s not easy being a kid during the coronavirus outbreak. Parents, while at home, still have to work. Going off to school or hanging out with friends, on the other hand, is no more an option. To help manage the crisis, a few companies are coming to the rescue.

You can kick things off by diving into the comical universe of Kalia the crow, Shikari Sambu, and Suppandi. The Amar Chitra Katha Studio — the birthplace of India’s first English-language comics — is offering a free one-month subscription to its comic apps.


The other option for moms and dads looking to burn some calories and some of that excess energy that builds up from being stuck at home. Follow along with celebrities like Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty who are sharing workout tutorials on their social media platforms to keep fit and make sure that your kids are tuckered out by the end of the day.


The legacy of Tinkle
In a time when the comicverse is dominated with Marvel’s Avengers and DC’s Batman chronicles, it’s easy to overlook the simpler times like Tinkle Comics were the only option on the market.


However, the dawn of technology means that you can now dive into the Tinkle universe using your phone. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the adventures of the comic’s iconic characters, the first thing you need to know is that they’re not superheroes — but they’re not without their powers.

Kalia the crow is a clever bird that roams the forest with his animal friends to bail them out of trouble. He was the first character created for the Tinkle series when the comic books launched on 14 November 1980 — Children’s Day. His power is that he can outsmart nearly anyone who crosses his path.


A few issues later, Suppandi was introduced in January 1983. Adapted from Chapando — a folk Tamil character — his stories have been written by countless different writers. His power is that despite different voices telling his story, his goofy essence and simpleton nature remain through every adventure.


Shikari Shambu is different from Kalia and Suppandi. Even though he was introduced early on — 10 issues after Suppandi — Shambu was initially a cowardly, but famous, hunter. However, over the years the character gave up his hunting ways and transformed into an animal conservationist. His power is the ability to adapt and be an example of how change is possible.


Work up a sweat
While comics may work to keep kids entertained indoors, it doesn’t involve a lot of movement. Even the parks and playgrounds are shut leaving kids with no way to burn off that excess energy that was normally used during classes.

Kaif claims that her 20-minute workout is a good go-to to keep endorphins up at a time when anxiety is high and it builds up immunity. The audio on the stream isn’t the best, so you should probably sync up your own playlist to make sure you and your kid stay pumped.

Shetty, known for her workout videos and emphasis on yoga, has also released a work out video for those stuck in self-isolation. She encourages people to work out at least four times a week to keep up their immunity.

Aside from working out and reading comics, a bunch of education apps like BYJU’S, Vedantu, Toppr and Lido Learning are offering select online courses for free.

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