Maayaavi

Mayavi
The former title logo of the Mayavi comics. Artwork by Pradeep Sathe
Publication information
Publisher	Balarama
First appearance	Balarama (August 1984)
Created by	Pradeep Sathe and N.M. Mohan
In-story information
Abilities	Invisibility
'
Series publication information
Schedule	Weekly (current)
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	see below
Creative team
Writer(s)	N.M. Mohan
Artist(s)	Pradeep Sathe M. Mohandas Thyagarajan

Mayavi (Malayalam: മായാവി) is a Malayalam comics strip appearing in the Indian comic magazine Balarama owned by Malayala Manorama group. The series, created by Mumbai-based artist Pradeep Sathe and NM Mohan, was first published in the August 1984 issue of Balarama. Artist M. Mohandas gradually took over the drawing of the series after Balarama became a fortnightly.

Mayavi, the protagonist in the series, is a little devil, who helps to keep the forest safe from villains and dark wizards. Most of the stories revolve around how a dark wizard Kuttusan and his cadre of wizards aim at capturing Mayavi, but fail with drastic consequences. Mayavi takes place in a secluded forest in Kerala. It is not exactly known when the story takes place. In the local language Malayalam Mayavi translates wizard. As the target audience is young, the story takes the liberty to draw a fantasy world, in which wizards, demons and other strange creatures exist. However, despite the simplicity and slapstick comedy, Mayavi became one of the most widely read children's comics in Malayalam language.

Mayavi, a good imp, is the main character of the story. Mayavi was a slave of the witch Dagini, and she was very cruel to him. Later Raju and Radha helped to escape the imp from the bottle in which he was kept. Thankful to the children, Mayavi decided to help them forever from the clutches of evil forces. And, Dagini pledged to take revenge on the children and re-capture Mayavi. The comics pictures him staying alone in a forest without any notable family. Mayavi is loathed by the evil creatures and villains of the forest. Robbers who often take refuge in the forest to hide are brought to light by Mayavi.

Apart from the power of invisibility, Mayavi is not known to possess any magical powers, but derives them from his red wand. This handicap has been one of the prominent vulnerabilities that are often exploited by the dark wizards who try to capture him. Once his wand is lost, his imp characteristics command him to be enslaved in a glass bottle by the one who holds his wand. Mayavi has a hobby of sleeping under trees.