Ajit Ninan didn't make cartoons, cartoons made him: Neelabh Banerjee
Banerjee is the National Creative Director at Reliance Industries Limited
I grew up on Ajit Ninan cartoons. His works were my companions from school to college. The humour was simple and action-oriented.
Later, when he and I became colleagues, he told me that the power of cartoons lies in the drawing, the connect is best done without reading the caption.
I first met Ajit Bhai at the India Today office. My brother Jayanto and he were colleagues. India Today used to bring out this beautiful magazine called Target and Ajit's famous character Detective Moochwala was a star attraction. Inspired, Jayanto and I started our own comic series Ghardhab Das for Target. Moochwala and Ghardhab Das continued for many years before winds of change set all three of us in different directions. Ajit Bhai joined Outlook magazine, Jayanto remained with Target and I was in The Times of India.
When Ajit bhai joined The Times of India, another chapter began. We would create cartoons, illustrations, and everything under the deep blue sky.
Those were fun years, Ajit bhai as an elder used to always be by my side. He would often help sell some of my notorious ideas to the Editors. He had a knack for seeing politicians' faces in objects and animals -- politicians would transform from train engines to toads! What we see ordinarily and what they are.
Ajit bhai was one for details. He jokingly told me once- if he wasn't a cartoonist he would have been an engineer doing technical drawings. I too try to do detailed drawings of objects appearing in my cartoon, true to the original reference.
Both of us used to draw with the right hand ... but he always used to point out right hand gets the credit but it is the left hand without which drawing on paper is impossible. Just try it and you will see!
In our family and friend circle, there was a label called Ninan Jokes, some highly unprintable. One of the tame ones was: We don't need to draw caricatures of most politicians, just Xerox them and a cartoon will pop up.
I still remember advice he used to give me as a senior cartoonist and elder brother-- He was all for the power of thought and cartoon ideas and spending more time with myself and my thoughts... His life was his cartoons and he used to live in them... somewhere the line I use to describe myself and my work -- I don't make cartoons, cartoons make me is rooted in learnings from Ajit Ninan.
Go ahead Ninan Saab, fill Heaven with more laughter!!
(The writer is National Creative Director, Reliance Industries Limited)
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