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Inspiration: An Artist Who Caught The Imagination of generations

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An Artist Who Caught The IMAGINATION OF GENERATIONSAuthor: Bishwanath GhoshPublication: The Times of IndiaNovember 16, 2009Introduction: Riding On Its Rich Heritage, Good Ol' Chandamama Set To

Enter Digital EraOnce upon a time, in a small village near Coimbatore, lived a boy called Sivasankaran. When he was 10 years old, he came to study in the big city of Madras. After he finished his SSLC, his drawing teacher told him, " My

son, do not go for a degree. Join the arts school. " The boy did as advised and went on to become an artist with a popular children's magazine. His drawings were appreciated far and wide and he lived happily ever after. That, in a nutshell, is the story of Sankar who, at

85, is the only surviving member of the team that took 'Chandamama' - the magazine that you, your parents and perhaps even your grandparents grew up reading - to dizzying heights. He's also the artist behind the

signature-picture of the Vikram and Vetala series - a brave king wielding a sword and carrying a corpse on his back. Sankar drew it in the 1960s, one of the hundreds he did for 'Chandamama.'Sankar officially retired over two decades ago - neither he nor his wife

is able to recall the exact year - but he continues to draw for the magazine. Though his memory is no longer as sharp, his lines are. He had been going to work as usual till last week when - on the day this reporter was scheduled to meet him in the 'Chandamama' office - he

fainted and had to be hospitalised. " From now, I'm going to work from home, " says Sankar, who joined 'Chandamama' in 1952 on a salary of Rs 300. Sankar's story is intertwined with that of the magazine. They have

both reached a stage where they need to think about their health: Sankar needs rest, the 62-yearold 'Chandamama' needs rejuvenation. " Chandamama is not only a strong brand but also has strong brand recall.

That's what makes us determined to take it back to its glorious days. We cannot compete with television and the internet, but can complement them, " says Prashant Mulekar, who took over as its editor two months ago

after the ownership of the magazine changed hands. For six decades, Chandamama was owned by Chennai-based B Nagi Reddi's family, but has been taken over by Geodesic, a Mumbai-based company that makes software

for telecom companies. The offices remain in Chennai: no longer in Vadapalani, from where it ruled children's imaginations for nearly 50 years, but in a quiet neighbourhood in Neelankarai on East Coast Road.

'Chandamama' comes out in 13 languages - including Santhali, the language of the tribals of the east - and has a combined circulation of nearly 2.5 lakh. At its peak, in the early 1980s, the circulation

touched nine lakh. That's when artists like Sankar were household names, unknowingly transforming lives from their office cubicles.One illiterate woman in a village in Andhra Pradesh learnt to read and

write because of 'Chandamama'. She was so fascinated by the pictures that she would get somebody to read the stories, and eventually enrolled for adult education classes. Then there was the devotee of Lord Krishna

from Karnataka. Unable to visit a temple to offer prayers, he found a satisfactory substitute Sankar's picture of an infant Krishna. And there was the shepherd from Orissa, who preserved a copy of the magazine by

inserting it into a hollow bamboo and whose sole dream was to be able to draw like Sankar and Chithra.Chithra was Sankar's boss-cum-rival in 'Chandamama' in the early years, but they went on to become the thickest of friends till Chithra died in

1976. Sankar's contemporaries Razi and Vapa are also no more. Today, Sankar is often required to rework their drawings since the magazine is published in a larger format. It's the archives that 'Chandamama' is

banking on as no other company has content as rich it does. Mulekar, who is also executive director of Geodesic, says, " We don't want to be restricted to print. 'Chandamama' is now available online in six

languages. " Mulekar's company has also designed software that will let children read on mobile phones. " The idea is in the preliminary stages, but the response has been positive, " he says.

'Chandamama' first rolled off the presses in July 1947 in Telugu and Tamil. Nagi Reddi ran a printing press in George Town, publishing 'Andhra Jyoti', a Telugu monthly. He teamed up with Chakrapani - a

writer who had acquired a minor literary reputation in pre-Independence Chennai translating Sarat Chandra's stories from Bengali to Telugu - to launch a patriotic youth magazine. Its success inspired them to launch

'Chandamama'. The first edition, priced at six annas, sold 6,000 copies.How circulation zoomed from 6,000 to 900,000 - therein lies the tale of the Indian thirst for stories beginning with " Once upon a time there was

a king. " Labour trouble and disputes within the Reddi family almost shut down 'Chandamama' in the 1990s. In May 1998, publication was suspended, and it was almost a year before it was revived with external funding. By

then, the circulation had taken a severe beating. Restoring circulation to a respectable figure is Mulekar's biggest challenge, but he is hopeful. " We have an aggressive target, and we will break even by the

next financial year, " he says.

 

 

-- " O Shirdi Sai Nath, Give me the guidance to know when to hold on and when to let go and the Grace to make right decision with dignity "

" The Future Belongs To Those Who Believe In The Beauty Of Their Dreams " Om Sai Ram~ anil - chandrot ~

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