Asianet Newsable has written a tributive commentary on India's 7 best cartoonists at the occasion of 75.
We've all seen cartoons, whether in magazines, newspapers, web graphics, or comic books, and the truth is that they give us comic relief after a hard day. Today, we look at some of the aces of the Indian cartoon industry who, despite their passing, have left a treasure trove of legacies that will be permanently imprinted in history.
Bal Thackeray
Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena party and was a prominent figure in Indian politics. Besides being a politician, Balasaheb was also a talented cartoonist. Balasaheb's cartoons are still popular today. He played a crucial role in the United Marathi movement to unite all the Marathi people in Maharashtra. He began commenting on societal issues as an artist and cartoonist. He also made profound comments on the most pressing problems in his cartoons. His drawings were quite famous at the time, thanks to discrepancies in events, a profound study of cartoons, and his exceptional creativity. To express himself via cartoons, he launched the weekly 'Marmik.'
R. K. Laxman:
The late cartoonist RK Laxman was famous for his character The Common Man and his daily comic strip 'You Said It' in The Times of India, which he began in 1951. RK Laxman started his career as a freelance cartoonist, usually for local newspapers and publications. He drew his older brother RK Narayan's tales in The Hindu as a college student. RK Laxman was honored with prestigious awards like Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Sudhir Tailang:
Sudhir Tailang made political cartoons of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PV Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi. Sudhir Tailang's cartoons have consistently depicted the plight of the average man. Sudhir understood the average guy's demands, concerns, and point of view. In 2004 he was awarded Padma Shri in Literature & Education. He passed away on February, 06, 2016 from brain cancer.
Mario Miranda:
When you think about Goa, a cartoon picture of a Goan guy singing merrily with a guitar under a coconut tree comes to mind. Mario Miranda, a cartoonist, created this image. Through his cartoons, he portrayed the Goan way of life. Surprisingly, he was not a native of Goa. Daman is where he was born. He had a special affection for Goa because his father was from there. The newspaper cartoons he made were popular among readers. He received the 'Padma Shri' and 'Padma Bhushan' awards for his essential work.
Shankar Pillai:
Kesava Shankara Pillai, or Shankar as he was fondly and popularly known, was born in 1902 at Kayamkulam. Considered as the ‘Father of Indian political cartooning’, he was the founder of Shankar’s Weekly, which he edited and published himself and it is often coined as the ‘Punch’ of India and inspired other cartoonists like Abu Abraham, Ranga and Kutty. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1976 and now is widely remembered for setting up Children’s Book Trust.
Abu Abraham:
In 1975, India declared a state of emergency. During this time, all of the citizens' basic rights were removed. Several politicians were imprisoned. Press freedom was curtailed. Despite the prohibition on everything, some cartoonists continued to work. Abu Abraham was one of these cartoonists. Through his cartoons, Abu Abraham opposed Indira Gandhi and her dictatorship. Even today, his drawings help others understand what an emergency is.
Satish Acharya:
Satish Acharya, a self-taught artist, was featured on United Sketches as an Indian professional cartoonist. Acharya was named one of Forbes India's "24 Intellectuals" in 2015. Acharya's cartoon on the Charlie Hebdo Massacre was regarded as one of the most potent cartoons on the tragedy by the foreign media. His cartoon was published in newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Times and The Guardian.
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