THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When Kannur-native Vishnu Madhav heard the news of Wing Commander Abhinandan Vardhaman being released from Pakistan’s custody, he was overjoyed. Simultaneously, the outline of his new cartoon was being formed in his mind. Within an hour after the Indian Air Force pilot’s release, a cartoon was released on Vishnu’s Instagram handle @pencilashan, which has come to be his popular moniker. The Bengaluru-based artist’s cartoons - based on the current political climate of the country - have gotten him appreciation and criticism from all quarters of life.
The topics range from the current weather to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Many a time, my followers DM (direct message on Instagram) me requests for my next post. Recently, a Class XII student even asked me to create a cartoon related to the difficult chemistry exam he and his fellow students had to do,” he says.
What he looks forward to is the elections on April 23. “Everybody will be talking about it. As a responsible citizen, I want to be part of it in whatever way I can,” says Vishnu.
Creating political cartoon strips is not something he began doing overnight. “I have always been watching the political comic strips published in Indian newspapers for a long time,” he says. Influenced by his upbringing and the surroundings he grew up, Vishnu’s cartoons resonate his views on contemporary issues. “As a responsible citizen who uses art as a medium, this is the least I can do to express my opinion. I criticise everyone, that’s how those in power are held accountable,” says the 29-year-old.
Now, what does one need to be equipped with to be a cartoonist? Be updated, he says. “You need to follow the current affairs and politics of the land. When something happens in real time, this helps you to relate with similar instances that happened three to four years ago,” says Vishnu.
With a lot happening in the country right now, there is no scope for delay, he says. “There have been times when the cartoon has lost its value by the time I finished working on it,” says Vishnu. He hopes to publish a book of his illustrations soon.