From social issues, to the reality of urban life society’s ills and the virtue, cartoonists help us look at life from a different perspective.
Cartoonists create a difference with their native sense of humour and address issues that concern people all over.
On World Cartoonists Day, let's take a look at some renowned cartoonists who made their mark in the Indian sphere.
Kesava Shankara Pillai
Kesava Shankara Pillai, better known as Shankar was born in 1902 at Kayamkulam.
Regarded as the ‘Father of Indian political cartooning’, he was the founder of Shankar’s Weekly which he edited and published himself.
Shankar's cartoons attracted even Viceroys like Lord Willington and Lord Linlithgow. Mahatma Gandhi once wrote a postcard to Shankar questioning one of his cartoons on Jinnah.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1976 and now is widely remembered for setting up Children’s Book Trust and Shankar's International Dolls Museum in 1965.
He passed away in 1986, leaving behind a rich legacy.
Bal Thackeray
Thackeray began his professional career as a cartoonist with the English-language daily, The Free Press Journal in Bombay (now Mumbai), but he left the paper in 1960 to form his own political weekly, Marmik.
Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray began his professional career as a cartoonist with The Free Press Journal. However, in 1960 he started his own political weekly called Marmik.
His cartoons served to his campaigns against the rising number of non-Marathi people in Mumbai.
He passed away in 2012.
R.K. Laxman
One of the most popular cartoonists in India, R.K. Laxman also began his career at The Free Press Journal.
He is best known for his cartoon character called ‘The Common Man’ and for his comic strip called, 'You Said It.'
The character was also featured in one of the postal stamps released by the Indian Postal Service to commemorate the 150th anniversary of The Times Of India.
Pran Kumar Sharma
Pran Kumar Sharma was widely known for having created India's favourite cartoon character, ‘Chacha Chaudhary’. Pran began his career in 1960 as a cartoonist for the Delhi based newspaper Milap with a comic strip called 'Daabu'.
In 1969, he created 'Chacha Chaudhary' for the Hindi magazine ‘Lotpot’
Pran received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 from Indian Institute of Cartoonists. He was also included in People of the year 1995 by Limca Book of Records for his contributions to popularizing comics in India.
Mario Miranda
One of India's most popular cartoonists, Miranda's cartoons always portrayed vivid illustrations of day-to-day life.
Generally set in the backdrops of a street corner, food joints etc, his cartoons portrayed everyday life like no other.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002. India Cartoonists’ Association.
