He's a scheming manipulator whose wicked brain is constantly hatching evil plans. But at the same time, he's also hard-working and perseverant. And now, Tantri — one of Tinkle's most enduring characters — is no longer a mantri. He's the king of the fictitious town of Hujli. For, in what's a major development in the Tinkle universe, the former prime minister's machinations against Raja Hooja have paid off after 35 long years, and he's finally managed to send the king to his grave and take over his throne, heralding a new chapter for fans of the comic book.

But what led the writing team behind the series to effect this seismic shift in the narration? We ask Rajani Thindiath, Tinkle's editor-in-chief, and she tells us, "There were two factors. One is that for 35-odd years, readers have been telling us that Tantri has been working so hard that the poor fellow deserves to be king. That is the feedback we have got from children. Secondly, we wanted to evolve the story arcs of the different characters — be it Shikari Shambhu or Suppandi — this year, and [making Tantri the king] was an easy decision given the feedback we had already received."