Warfare of Cartoonists brush: Bala Saheb Thackrey

By: Vijay Kumar Ratre, Mumbai

Bala Saheb Thackrey a disputed personality! An extraordinary fabulous cartoonist as well as a mighty politician Bala Saheb Thackrey, who has attained 86 years of age, is most known for his impeccable and unsullied intense remarks on national and international occurrences. This is the article jotted for the readers of Cartoon Watch on the very exceptional event of awarding the life-time achievement award to Bala Saheb Thackrey for his priceless contributions as cartoonist and world of cartoons, by his disciple senior cartoonist Vivek Mehetre, who has also obtained the blessings of this great cartoon guru. The political scenario is ever packed with political personas, who enter and exit the field as time passes by, and thus the routine is. The time knows that how many of them have succeeded in triggering the life and political scenario of our country. But it has been a widespread fact that there was a time when with his blazing articles, statements and more than all his brush as a cartoonist, waged a deep stimulation in hearts of Marathi Manoos, commoner from Maharashtra, and till now he is the only figure in the socio-political picture of the state to stand for the identity and self-respect of the sons of the soil here. He has also been the uncrowned emperor of the world of cartoon in Asian Continent, other than being the founder of Shiv Sena. He is commonly known as Bala Saheb Thackrey, but his original name is Bal Keshav Thackrey. The youth today award and know him as great Hindu-Hridaya-Samrat and chief of Shiv Sena, because Bala Saheb is well-known for his instant remarks on various concurrent events, be it the border dispute, incidents related to Mumbai or Maharashtra, against the terrorists, or be it the matters of unfairness done towards Marathi populace or community, he has ever been widely acclaimed for his heart-piercing speeches and statements. He has also been conferred the place as Dronacharya amidst cartoonists in India. Whenever there would be a history written on cartoonists or on the art of cartooning in India, mere one or two pages wont be sufficient, but a whole lot of a vast chapter would need to be reserved for Bala Saheb Thackrey. One can certainly trace the power of a politician cartoonist from the life-sketch of Bala Saheb and his successful political career. Things that cant be done with thousand words could easily be sketched by the brush of Bala Saheb, and this has truly been established in his long political career. The cartoons published in Weekly Marmik or prior to this the cartoons published in Free Press Journal had the magic of binding its readers to it, and his cartoons have still been relevant in most of the issues and fronts today having the same calibre of binding people together for a cause. Thus from past four years the Marathi weekly Marmik has been publishing the selected and best cartoons of Baba Saheb on its cover and inside pages. Within the span of minutes, Bala Saheb draws the emotions on the sketch-board and spreads a wide happiness on the faces of his readers, not only entertaining and fun, his brush also hammers hard on the issues and leave the concerned speechless and deeply wounded. His success and highly ranked cartoons were the outcome of his restless efforts and the guidance and motivations of his father Prabodhankar Thackrey.

The eagerness and endeavours of Childhood Bala Saheb was hardly nine-ten years old, when he had been seeing the world class magazines and newspapers from far-off countries at his home. These journals and reading materials were subscribed by his father Prabodhankar Thackrey, where he could see number of cartoons and satirical sketches published on different national and international concerns. He and his brother Srikant used to be perplexed with these drawings and cartoons, and thought whether they could also draw similar type of cartoons. Seeing their childlike interest in cartoons, once his father asked them, whether they also like to draw such types of cartoons? Getting the encouragement from his father, Bala Saheb started his life with cartoons. But the bigger question was as to who would teach his the basics and principals of cartoons? This is the year 2012, and there is no single institute in whole of India that runs a course of cartooning and provides a degree. The fact is this that cartoonist like me has to find my own way-out with lots of struggles today, then think that what could have been the situation in 1934? The countless cartoons, caricatures and clippings of world-famous cartoonists David Lo, Benberry and such others were among the collections of Bala Saheb. He started collecting the cartoons of foreign cartoonists from across the world and started learning the basics and trends of cartooning without any teacher. But learning from other cartoonists was never like copying them. He had his own style of cartooning. It was the time of countrys freedom; there was a vast difference between the powers of British, the then political visions, way of dressings, the polity of Indian leaders and that of the life-styles of foreigners. However, Political cartooning is one of the most effective communication that can directly be had with people in common and wrath of readers and voters could easily be express without any fear by the means of cartoons. Thus a cartoonist gets his due conclusions, prestige and publicity. The viewers of political cartoons get delighted, but the cartoonist making such cartoons need to have extraordinary calibre and understanding of politics and political science together. There can be a good idea coming to anybodys mind, but putting it perfectly and effectively on the canvas is more significant and essential, which requires extensive knowledge of drawings and cartooning. You would be surprised to know that Bala Saheb is an artist with jack-of-alltrades and master of every skill. Be it illustrations, still-photography, decorative paintings, portraits, paintings, sketches, caricatures and advertisements, he has strongly brought forward his artistic vigour and emotions in his landscapes and crafts too. Readings all kinds of material, furious statements and study of mature politics has always been the magic of his cartoons. His drawings reveal high esteemed pride for sons of the soils as Marathis and stand erect for the cause of the culture of Maharashtra. The amount of intellect is seen in his sketches, the similar effect of expertise and craftiness can be found on its headings too. In the post-independence era the Thackrey brothers and always stood against the corruptions in the country and condemned the Indian politicians with their cartoons and brush. Many a times their brush has disclosed the scandals of many politicians. There were also times when seeing the attacks from neighbouring countries, Bala Saheb has stood by the Prime Minister and strengthened his vision of national integrity with his sketches. Certain times the cartoons crack a whip, and in certain times the same black
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ink lines shower sympathy on the white papers, which Bala Saheb has ever demonstrated in his cartoons. See the cartoons published with this article, this was published in the cover page of Marmik, after the demise of Late Indira Gandhi. An earthen lamp just lit-off and its smoke taking the shape of Indirajis face. What a wonderful message with a drawing. Bala Sahebs career as cartoonist has been very acclaimed and wide. The blasting political cartoons with blazing tags in famous Free Press Journal published from Mumbai, had left many a mighty politicians restless. There had been number of disputes rose from many of his cartoons, people condemned and burnt his effigies, but Bala Saheb never bent his knee. Later he gave up with Free Press Journal. It was on August 13, the year 1960 when his first cartoons stated with the publication of Weekly magazine called Marmik. The fact was this that as soon as any issue arrived book-stalls, people thronged to buy the same. Where-ever Bala Saheb saw an injustice, there he smacked with his brush and by his straight forward articles. The reputation that was crowned to Bala Saheb with the cartoons and articles of Marmik, were also the results of the sincere efforts from his brother Shrikant Thackrey (father of Raj Thackrey), who also contributed significantly to cartoon world. All the more, the consequences of cartoons from Thackrey Duo were such that people from Maharashtra region, mostly Marathi readers started believing Marmik as their source of inspiration. Not only for Maharashtra, but giving a learned opinion and remarks to the sociopolitical scenario of country as a whole, is never an easy task. Bala Saheb fixed and reserved three days of week for the same. He started reading, reviewing, evaluating and apprising a lot number of magazines, newspapers, clippings, photographs everyday and even made a good number of its collections, too. He continued to acquire and collect the photographs of significant personalities, which had always been a difficult job for him. There may be hundreds of painters, who may sketch or draw pictures or cartoons, but there would hardly be any cartoonist who would make immediate remarks on concurrent and recent issues with lots of study and review. Bala Saheb continued this trend and maintained the same. In the words of Bala Saheb, the people in common read news on newspapers, but a cartoonist reads and comprehends the meaning hidden within those news items of newspapers. Taking the inspirations from Bala Sahebs cartoons, many cartoonists cameforth. The generation of cartoonists that we see today is the true replica of the inspirations gained from the cartoons of Bala Saheb and outcome of his valuable cartoon literature. Today being the age of computers and offset printing, we see throngs of colour printings everywhere, but the black-and-white paintings of Bala Saheb on white-newsprint paper appear far more alive. The sketching styles of Bala Saheb and his brother Shrikant were equivalent to each other but certainly different from the styles of R.K. Laxman. The authoritative style of Thackreys paintings meant heart-soothing emotions with clear meanings put-forth in lines. Whenever he got any idea, just picked his pencil and without making any error gave outlined sketches to him emotions. And when he has contended his heart with those of his outlined sketches, he would then pick-up his brush any give it a final colouring touches with utmost clarity and neatness. And there takes birth a new cartoon, describing his best emotions and remarks.
(This article was published in the April 2012 issue of Cartoon-Watch, the only cartoon-magazine of India, published from Raipur, Chhattisgarh)