Chennai:
It's not often that you find an accountant who has an intense passion
for drawing. Leave alone cartooning. So, when Thiruvanmiyur-based
chartered accountant S Ravishanker informs us that he loves making
cartoons
more than anything else, we can't help but take it with a pinch
of salt. But a mere look at the cartoons made by Ravishanker clearly
divulge the love he has developed for the art form. And why wouldn't he
after having read the famous book 'The Art of Walt Disney' by
Christopher Finch?
"That was way back when I was in eighth grade," recounts Ravishanker
says, "I found the whole journey of Walt Disney inspirational. Soon
after that, I began devoting more time to watching cartoons, reading
comic books and going through comic strips," he tells us.
While Ravishanker preferred watching live action films over having a
look at 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz even then, he goes on to say that
many a path-breaking cartoon that used to be telecast on television
changed his way of thinking. "I found animated films to be intriguing.
Many a time, they turned out to be better than action films," he
elaborates.
And believe us, Ravishanker's way of thinking changed so much so,
that he decided on inventing his own homegrown version of a superhero!
"That was when I was still a schoolgoing kid. I wanted to develop it
with the help of my sister," he quips.
The
failure to build a superhero though didn't deter Ravishanker from
continuing with what he loved most. "I still remember my class teacher
telling me I would become a cartoonist one day. I didn't take it
seriously then, but now when I look back, I find it revealing,"
Ravishanker says, adding soon after his schooling he got busy with
studies and work life.
"That is exactly why I got back to cartooning just about six months
ago. I wanted to do something fulfilling and I wanted to do it right
then," he lets on. "And my parents and wife have been tacitly supporting
me."
But ask him how he juggles between a taxing profession and a
compelling passion, and he replies, "I make cartoons whenever I find
time. Maybe, an hour over the weekend at home or during a 10-minute
coffee break at office," he tells us. And does he have any take on the
recent attack at a comedian for mimicking a self-proclaimed Godman? "I
only think it's high time people start laughing at themselves," he
states, signing off with a smile. Ravishanker can be reached at
9940137033.