An Interview with the Fatoonist Part 2

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Here is the Much awaited Second Part of the Interview with The Fat Cartoonist Mr. Sajjiv Balakrishnan. The First part can be read here

What do you think is the best part about being a cartoonist ?

A cartoonist is never alone in a group. He gets liked by all age groups instantaneously once he goes on a roll, esp. if a caricaturist. Incidentally, only a negligible percentage of mainstream artists can draw like a cartoonist. The over-care for finesse in details bludgeons any mad streak in him, which is said only for that devil may care cartoonist. And , ironically, only a very very small percentage of cartoonists can excel in caricaturing for reasons still unknown to me ! And the spot caricaturist is always a rarity, especially the Fat kind ?

What are the charges of your commercial services?

Please see my simple gallery in www.bloggercaricatures.blogspot.com . Nowadays, I have been doing a lot of caricatures for display as FaceBook & Twitter profile avatar-logo.

What is the your ultimate dream as a cartoonist?

To be known as the most friendly & accessible and the quickest caricaturist of this country. And to start an online caricature tutorial, teaching you to live with laughter AND with your fears & failings in doodling ! The tutorial should me on in a few months.

I wonder what I will do if bump against Budha who leaves no impression around for tagging !

Tell me your finest moment as a cartoonist….

You would not believe. No one else would. It is the sight of my 82 year old, deaf, asthmatic, limping mother delightfully looking at my sparing cartoons appearing in strange, unattractive magazines sitting alone in her room. Down the years, the magazines alone changed, her delight stayed on as perpetual inspiration. When I pick up pen, I remember my father. While I perform , my Guru keeps on touching me with the forefinger. I totally believe in Gurutwam.

Finally, what is your take on Caricature ?

I consider that drawing is the most creative art since chances to signify meaning are infinite in drawing and are available to even the non-initiated. In fast caricaturing as I have been doing for the last 30 years, the scare is in the knowledge that the black ink lines once fallen on paper would not stand any kind of human editing . The challenge is in capturing the essence (bhava) of a person in the self-allotted 2/3 minutes. The thrill lies in seeing people flocking to have a peek at the caricature and breaking into laughter. And the ecstacy is in seeing one of your early creations adorning a profile / avatar in an unknown webpage or an unvisited drawing room in grandeur. But the wetblanket in any live- caricaturing spot would be the guy who impolitely blurts out in falsetto voice “Does this look like me ? “.

It is my conviction that no gift can excel one that boosts one self image. Caricature simply exalts a person even though through innocent boisterous jest to the level of hero instantaneously. It is a complete statement.

I look for an immediate future where every family in India would proudly display their family caricature at home, which would make the kids to laugh at themselves. A future where all net savvy young boy and girl would flaunt his/her self-caricature as profile pic in personal blogs and all their social community pages.

My little sister wants to be a cartoonist. What final advice would you give to a young aspiring cartoonist?

Be gently honest in life. Live simply without being desperate for others’ attention. Do not compare lifestyles. Be always thankful & surprised that YOU still remain to read this. Rejoice at the wonders of survival instincts packed in every life form. Watch people without being watched . Experiment with  pen, crayon, charcoal, and the king of them all- the brush, in turn. NEVER LET GO OF PRACTICE OF DOODLING TILL ……..…….. DEATH.

Anything else you’d like to say…
I have already overshot myself….. Oh.. Nooo… I missed a vital mention.

It is 4 of us in my family at Ernakulam. Amma, wife Lekha (playback singer Lekha R. Nair ) who has sung for 25+ films in Malayalam ( varna vrindaavanam ) in Kaliyoonjaal ) & tamil ( Ippothenna thevai) and  my son Siddharth, singer, disciple to his mother in carnatic lessons, and a keyboardist in the making.

Heavily yours,
Sajjive Balakrishnan
http://indiahahaha.com (under constrn)
http://bloggercaricatures.blogspot.com/

E-mail @ [email protected]

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SAJJIVEcartoon

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