Pran Kumar Sharma

Born: 15 August 1938

Died: 5 August 2014

• He better known as Pran was an Indian cartoonist best known as the creator of Chacha Chaudhary (1971).
• He also created other characters like Shrimatiji, Pinki, Billoo, Raman, and Channie Chachi.
• He began his career in 1960 as a cartoonist for the Delhi-based newspaper Milap with comic strip Daabu.
• Apart from Daabu, Indian comics scenario was largely based on reprints of The Phantom and Superman.
• In 1969, He sketched Chacha Chaudhary for the Hindi magazine Lotpot, which made him famous.
• He has also created other cartoon characters like Shrimatiji, Pinki, Billoo, Raman, Channi Chachi and others, which are regularly published in Indian magazines.
• He reached lakhs of Kannadigas through his Putti, Raman that were published in Kannada daily Prajavani and Shrimathi which publishes in Kannada magazine Sudha.
• He was included in People of the Year 1995 by Limca Book of Records for popularizing comics in India.
• In 1983, the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi released Pran’s comics “Raman – Ham Ek Hain” which promoted national integration.
• He received a Lifetime Achievement Award 2001, from Indian Institute of Cartoonists.
• He has also given lessons in cartooning at the Pran’s Media Institute, run by his son Nikhil.
• Maurice Horn notes that Pran has been given the title of “Walt Disney of India” in The World Encyclopedia of Comics.
• The Chacha Chaudhary strips find permanent place in International Museum of Cartoon Art, United States.

Click here for more details