Famous cartoonist Pran has left behind a rich legacy of comics that will continue to make us smile
Childhood for most of us would have been so different without Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo and Pinky. There was no better way we could have learnt about the victory of good over evil, presence of mind and joys of sharing than these comic strips that conveyed life lessons with wit and humour. Pran Kumar Sharma, popularly known as Pran, was the man who made these comic strips and their characters an integral part of our lives. He passed away on Wednesday at the age of 75 after a long battle with cancer.
With a career spanning over five decades, Pran employed a simple style of art and sense of humour to create a family of characters like Shrimatiji, Pinki, Billoo, Raman and Channi Chachi. Apart from these characters, some one-liners like “Chacha Chaudhary Ka Dimag Computer Se Bhi Tez Chalta Hai” (Chacha Chaudhary’s brain works faster than computer) or “Jab Sabu Ko Gussa Aata Hai Toh Jupiter Par Jawalamukhi Fatata Hai” (When Sabu gets angry, a volcano erupts on Jupiter) are a favourite with all those who grew up in the 80s and early 90s.
No matter that in reality many haven’t touched Pran’s comic strips since long, but he was the part of everyone’s virtual space as soon as the news of his demise was out. “India’s Walt Disney dies: One of India’s best-known cartoonists, Pran, has died from cancer,” read one of the posts on Twitter. “I loved Chacha’s computer brain, Sabu’s volcano-busting rage and the simple pleasure of reading it with friends during lunch break,” was another tweet. “Our childhood would have never been as special without you. Thank you Pran for all the memories (sic)” and “Although read ur creations only during train journeys yet I can’t undermine ur contribution in preserving my innocence & goodness (sic)” are some more that reflect the cartoonist’s strong connection with people of all age groups. “Art has visual, no words. literature has words, no visual. Comics have words as well as visuals. This accounts for its popularity,” illustrator Shinobi Saheb Sahed posted on Twitter.
Pran was born in 1938 in Kasur, British India. He graduated with a BA from Gwalior and did Master of Arts (Political Science) from evening Camp College, Delhi. He pursued a five-year course in fine arts from Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai through distance as a private student while in Delhi, so that he could apply as a drawing teacher at schools but he discontinued. He started his career in 1960 as a cartoonist and nine years later, he created Chacha Chaudhary, that got published in a Hindi comic called lotpot.
It soon became a rage among the kids and became the most iconic Indian comic character ever. Pran was the first cartoonist to introduce original comics in India that were in no way inspired or adapted from foreign comic strips. After the success of Chacha Chaudhary, he created characters like Billoo, Pinky and Shrimatiji.
“If Chacha represents a wise man whom everyone loves and respects, Billoo is a naughty boy like every teenager and so is Pinky, a cute girl. These characters are one among us and that is why they will always be loved. They will never grow old or fade. These characters will carry forward his legacy,” said Gulshan Rai, Diamond Comics publisher.
“like every kid, I have grown up on my daily dose of Tinkle and Chacha Chaudhary comics. It was a memorable moment for me when I went to collect the lifetime achievement award at Comic Con on behalf of Uncle Pai and received it from Pran Sir. That was my first meeting with him and he came across as a very jovial person. It is difficult to find an artist and a writer in one person. His contribution has been amazing”, said Savio Mascarenhas, art director, Tinkle.
In 1983, the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi released Pran’s comics Raman -Ham Ek Hain which promoted national integration. Pran received a lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 from Indian Institute of Cartoonists. Pran was a master of his art. He spread a lot of smiles while he was alive and he would continue to make us laugh as his legacy.
