You really have no choice. If you are an adult who lives in theproximity of television and a child, you must bow down to one supreme being — Doraemon. Yes, other cartoons are popular, but Shinchan and Chhota Bhim, but Doraemon is a cult with wild-eyed child members. Doraemon appears at traffic signals, on keychains, t-shirts and probably one in two birthday cakes.

I first learned about Doraemon from the facebook status of my friend A, father of two. In unambiguous terms it said: “Kill Doraemon.” If you have heard the maddening soundtrack of the cartoon’s Hindi version and the sing-song Hindi dubbing peculiar to this, you will understand A’s emotions. My niece became a card-carrying Doraemon cult member, before she was two, and any fantasies I had entertained about being the coolest person in her life were shattered by that Doraemon cat.