At a recent event the chief guest proclaimed that most of the caricature artists in India are from Kerala , he also said that folks from this small state in the southernmost part of the Indian sub continent had the special ability to “put a smile on others face”, one way or the other.
Now that got me thinking….. In today’s world where most are “Very” busy doing nothing (of value), people have forgotten to smile. I guess there was a time when one would smile at the self standing in front of the mirror, apart from smiling at others. In our mad rush to make the most(fame, money and what not) and be happy we often end up not smiling, as our urge to make more has no limit. This event was an exhibition of caricatures by Shri Balakrishnan Kavungal Anat. I love caricatures, everyone does, however going to an exhibition of caricatures is another experience, and to top it if one comes to meet with other renowned artistes, it is certainly the icing on the cake. Balakrishnan Ji is a Facebook friend. Came across his post in 2016 when the IAF plane went missing, somehow the post touched somewhere deep inside, so I kind of browsed through his profile and found his passion for caricature and photography! So no way could missing meeting him in person! Murphy’s law stepped in “There is no such thing as a perfect plan” , the dates clashed with my personal travel plans. and in come Paulo Coelho “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” I reach back in time to attend the exhibition. Adding couple of snaps.
There are many caricature artistes from India. R K Laxman a name I remember from my childhood. Then there is Mario, Abu Abraham, Sudhir Dar and the list goes on… and surprisingly many from Kerala – - Kutty(Puthukkody Kottuthody Sankaran Kutty Nair), Shankar(Kesava Shankara Pillai) “the father of political cartooning in India”, O. V. Vijayan.
A brief profile on the artist : Shri. Balakrishnan K Anat is a self taught Artist, Cartoonist and Photographer, presently working with the Airports Authority of India as Asst. General Manager (Air Traffic Control), Chennai International Airport. A native of Thrissur, Kerala, he is a graduate in Physics, a PG in Psychology who freelances for several National and Regional Dailies.
Wishing Shri Balakrishnan the very Best….
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