Mohan's Musings

Unforgettable Shankar Pillai

Mohan Sivanand 386 Views ,

He was once India’s pre-eminent cartoonist.

It was 1964, the year of the earlier Tokyo Olympics. By then there was speculation about who would take over from an aging Jawaharlal Nehru. So, other possible leaders too are running an Olympic race. But they’re far behind an emaciated, tired-looking Nehru. Ten days after this Shankar Pillai cartoon was published, Nehru passed away. A visionary, Shankar got the three people — Shastri, Nanda, Indira — immediately following Nehru surprisingly right.

In 1932, when he was Staff Cartoonist with The Hindustan Times, Shankar got a summons from Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy. Certain that his cartoons had upset the big man, Shankar, with much trepidation, went to meet him. But Willingdon received him with a broad smile, saying, “I enjoy your cartoons, my boy!” Soon Marie, Lady Willingdon, joined them. “I have one complaint against you,” she told Shankar. “Why do you draw my husband’s nose so long?”

Shankar explained that he always exaggerated some feature while drawing his characters, adding, “Now, even if I drew only that nose, people will know it’s your husband.” The Willingdons laughed out loud.

Ever since he could hold a pencil, Shankar was making others laugh. At primary school in his native Kerala, he once drew his fat headmaster seated, legs on the table and sleeping. The headmaster complained to Shankar’s granduncle. One look at it and the old uncle laughed, “I didn’t know he was so talented!”

K. Shankar Pillai (1902-1989) was once India’s leading cartoonist. With no malice ever, he lampooned important public figures.

Cover of the January 2023 issue of The Teenager Today featuring the International Kite Festival held at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

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Mohan Sivanand

Mohan Sivanand is a journalist and artist. He was with Reader’s Digest for 32 years, serving as the magazine’s India Editor-in-Chief for a decade until his retirement in 2015. He teaches journalism at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Mohan Sivanand

Mohan Sivanand is a journalist and artist. He was with Reader’s Digest for 32 years, serving as the magazine’s India Editor-in-Chief for a decade until his retirement in 2015. He teaches journalism at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.