COLORES INFINITUM
Chacha Chaudhary’s mind works faster than a computer.
When Sabu gets angry, a volcano erupts somewhere (at a
distant place).
Okay, so, those were the days that came to revisit me today
with the news of passing away of cartoonist/illustrator/writer Pran last night.
Why cartoonist Pran only and not any other writer echoes
when it comes to remembering the interesting, fun-filled, thrilling and the
must-have world of thoughts built by the characters of the comic books (or
comics that we would say in those days) that my childhood had is enough to tell
me what sort of legend Mr. Pran Kumar Sharma was.
Almost everyone from a generation that didn’t have access
to satellite television, superhero movies and the world of sophisticatedly
designed animated movies and TV shows had grown up reading the comic books of a
series of characters published by publishers like Diamond Comics, Raj Comics
and Manoj Comics and Chacha Chaudhary led the pack.
Originating from a Hindi speaking belt, the comic books of
Chacha Chaudhary were translated into many languages. The comic strip was
further adapted for animated and live-character shows on TV.
Before stopping reading comic books suddenly one day (the
reason I still don’t know and never bothered to know), during my childhood
days, I was an avid reader who tried to maintain his lead over the pack of his
friends in reading and sharing a comic book as soon as it hit the stands.
We all were subjected to intense scrutiny in our families
on our commitment to the comic books that was certainly having an upper hand
than the academic books. Parents and elders were always on alert on what we would
be reading. And we would always try to devise ways to hide the comic books away
from their eyes. Chidings were the regular byproducts. But it never let our
spirit down.
To read first and to read each forced us to share once we
finished the one with us. Buying was not an option (an option exercised rarely,
for some special edition release) given the pocket money that was in fact no
pocket money at all. Borrowing and renting saved the day for us.
I still remember many characters. I read the Indian
characters as well as the imported ones like Archie, Phantom and Mandrake, much
like a spirited reader.
But, now after so many years, if any character from those
childhood days is still clearer than others in my memory is, it is Chacha
Chaudhary.
(Photographs sourced from the Internet)
The red turban, the bushy but shaped white moustache, the
black, blue and white outfit and the walking stick – the quintessential Chacha
Chaudhary – with his lieutenant Sabu, the 15 feet tall alien with a monstrous
diet, who came from Jupiter to stay with him – and their archrival, Raka, the
dreaded villain with his axe (Wikipedia says: Raka to Chacha Chowdhry is
same as Joker to Batman) – and we had ‘many returns’ of the good days packed
with thrill and humour - humour, something that was central to Pran Sahab’s
work.
And that Pran Sahab, who gave us this Chacha Chaudhary,
Sabu and Raka and many others including Chacha’s wife Bini Chachi, his brother
Chhajju Chaudhary and his dog Rocket, and other independent characters like
Billoo, Pinki, Shrimatiji and Raman, is not there anymore to further his already deeply entrenched legacy but our memories of his characters will remain there, always.
Rest in Peace Mr. Pran Kr. Sharma..
Thanks for being the essential part of the childhood
memories..
A volcano would have certainly erupted somewhere on
Jupiter yesterday.
