Pune: Maharashtra Minister of Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar announced the opening of a Cartoon Studies Department in Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) in the name of famous senior cartoonist Shivram Dattatreya Phadnis (SD Phadnis) on Sunday. Phadnis turned 100 years old on 29th July and to celebrate this, the decision was made.
Shelar said that his great legacy is inspiring for artists. The aim of this centre is that cartoonists across the country come to Pune to study here. The centre will make sure that students learn artistic training in caricature, cartooning, and political satire in Pune. "Students from across the world should come here, study caricature, research and learn here, and discuss here, in this cartoon study centre," said Shelar.
During the Pune visit, Ashish Shelar visited S.D. Phadnis's home. At that time, Shelar gifted him a book containing rare letters written by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
It was during the visit to SD Phadnis's residence that the local BJP leaders and SPPU faculty requested Shelar to start a cartoon studies department in the university in S.D. Phadnis's name. Ashish Shelar called Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and proposed the study centre idea.
SD Phadnis said, "Starting a study centre in Pune University is a really good idea. I'm always supportive of this idea, and my blessings are with them. This is a golden moment of my artistic life. My drawings' soul is colourful, and they are wordless; that's why they reached people without any language barriers. The cartoon industry has a great future ahead."
