Using their weapons of choice — from pens, pencils and brushes — cartoonists create a difference with their native sense of humour and satire taking a jab at issues that concern people all over. From social issues, to the reality of urban life and living, politics and real faces of politicians, the society’s ills and the goodness, their ideas and canvasses make us look at life from a different perspective.
Chennai-based Biswajit Balasubramaniam started graphic sketching two decades ago. He began his journey as a pocket cartoonist for the Frontline and Madras Musings contributing two cartoons a month and later freelanced for various newspapers and magazines.
“My cartoons are filled with detailing and simple strokes. Usually, in Indian style of caricatures, the nuances are caught, twisted, and exaggerated or diminished. This is my way of expressing the myriad social issues on a daily basis,” he says. The subjects he chooses range from water shortage in cities, influences of technology, and the corrupt education system because, he says, such topics easily connect people to reality within a short time span.
The Madurai-born artist has also done illustrations for children’s books, drawing inspiration from legendary Illustrators like R K Laxman and Mario de Miranda. “My drawings appeal to teenagers and I also hold workshops for them,” he says.“Once an idea strikes, I take two to three hours to finish a cartoon. Nowadays, I use Adobe Illustrator to colour and touch up the cartoons,” says S Ravi Palette, who freelances for Tamil magazines. He highlights that during the elections, his cartoons are a reminder of the eternal nature of art. “They poke fun at veteran politicians and veteran sufferers.” Known for his minimalistic style which involves just a frame, one or two moderate colours and portrays less as more, he says, “These are effective and more powerful in conveying messages. These days, cartoonists have many restrictions based on political leanings of the publications they work with. Thankfully in my case, I did not have to go through all that,” says the prolific political cartoonist.
Ramanan Govindan, a Madurai-based cartoonist contributes to books and magazines in English and Tamil. His cartoons are a visual feast, especially for children. The 46-year-old says, “Before internet arrived, there was a world before children that was filled with books and comics that today’s generation needs to know.” The Disney cartoons and comic books published in the ‘90s such as Ambulimama, Chandamama, Amar Chitra Katha, Gokulam, Bal Vihar, and Champak inspired him when he as younger. Today, Ramanan wants to provide children the same experience. “ Our cartoons should kindle creativity and be a testament of what’s happening around us,” he says.
For budding cartoonist Lakshman Balaji from Chennai, who is now a dental surgeon in the US, the passion for cartoons began in his childhood days when he read magazines such as the Tinkle. “To me, cartoons are a medium to express what I see in the real world and it is just meant make people laugh. I never take up subjects or surroundings I lack familiarity with as every cartoon sketched is a learning experience,” he says.
The 25-year-old free-hand cartoonist started his FB page Lakshman’s Cartoons in 2015 and has a good reach. He says, “I am happy cartooning with ink pens on paper as paper and colour pencils are closer to my heart than the digital medium.” It is also about elegant strokes that dance effortlessly within the limited space of an A4-size paper, giving shape to word plays and spontaneous thought processes, he adds.