In Your Skin #2: The Other Half Lives

Ayesha Sen is admired by millions, but her mysterious allure is just a mask to hid her yearning for a different life. Being a star is demanding thankless. Ayesha longs for a chance to start over and live simply. That is when she meets Priyanka and slowly both women learn the price of coveting a life that’s not yours.

Identity is central to the human experience, how we see ourselves is how we see the world and this issue showcases just what in the day in the life of Ayesha Sen looks like despite being a star her life is not hers, carefully curated and prone to fading away as younger and younger talent comes in. She wants something simpler, which ties in to Priyanka’s dilemma of wanting more.

Aditya Bidikar continues this horrific rendition of Prince and the Pauper, but manages to keep its leads relatable. The feelings of inadequacy and just going through the motions are achingly human, as well as losing yourself to a personality that was crafted for you. Bidikar does an excellent job of making us sympathetic to Ayesha’s plight, while at the same time watching as Priyanka continues to succumb to her own vices.

Somanth Pal’s artwork beautifully enhances Bidikar’s narrative in the most haunting of ways with gritty realism and striking body horror. Pal’s paneling is a marvel to look at as well, oftentimes visually descending down the page as if taking the reader into hell.