Meet the Creator of Chacha Chaudhary

Whether an adult or a child from the 90s, the name Chacha Chaudhary would never be unknown to you. Here’s a peek at the life of the man behind the liveliest cartoon characters and comic caricatures - Pran Kumar Sharma.

The Unforgettable Chacha Chaudhary and Saboo; Source: The Economic Times

His characters outdid the level of entertainment one would expect a comic to bring. From Chacha Chaudhary’s faster-than-a-computer brain to Saboo’s short plugged anger and Pinki’s naughty tantrums, Pran Kumar Sharma had found a way to his readers’ hearts through the best stories. When asked about Diamond Comics, many rewind their head back to the nostalgic childhood they had growing up with his cartoons and comics.

Pran knew how to make his characters look so much more than just seemingly drawn stick figures in a graphic narrative. He single-handedly became a face for Indian comics and caricatures. Pran’s art would breathe life into the characters and make everyone become a fan of his.

“Pran Sahab” as he was fondly called, was born on August 15, 1938, in Kasur, British India. He completed his bachelor's from Gwalior and his master's from Delhi. He later went ahead to pursue a five-year degree in fine arts from J.J. School of Art, Mumbai but through distant learning.

He ultimately began his career as a cartoonist in 1960 working for a Delhi-based newspaper called Milap. From there started his first comic strip Daabu.

However, Pran never got recognised right away with his comic and illustrations. It took him time until he got under the limelight.

In 1969, Pran created Chacha Chaudhary for a Hindi magazine called Lotpot which ended up getting popular among children too easily.

Pran's famous Chacha Chaudhary was a middle-class old Indian man who was weak but his intelligence compensated for the same. His story background and setting largely borrowed features from the middle-class metro surroundings of the 1970s and 80s. Keeping this in mind makes it easier to understand why Chacha Chaudhary was such a favourite. Everything about him resonated with the lifestyle of those times and ended up making the old man become one of the people's beloved.

The unforgettable attire of a wooden stick, red turban, waistcoat, and pocket watch was a trademark combination that only Chacha Chaudhary owned. Pran's brilliant storytelling makes it impossible to forget Chacha's nagging wife Bini Chachi and his everyday walks with his giant friend Saboo along with his pet dog Rocket. His works were popular among 10 million readers, both through newspapers and comics.

Chacha Chaudhary's popularity made Pran get included in the ‘People of the year, 1995’ list by Limca Book of Records. He had introduced and hyped up the start of comics in India.

His comic strips were also acquired by the International Museum of Cartoon Art, the USA for getting displayed. Summing up, Chacha Chaudhary also got its own television series. In his entire life, he had successfully managed to publish more than 400 comic books which included 2 lakhs of his amazing drawings. In 1983, Pran also produced a comic named Raman – Ham Ek Hain which showcased unity among the nation which was released by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

In 2001, he earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Institute of Comics for his big contribution to the field of comics in India.

With his funny and thriving characters, Pran had made himself and his Chacha Chaudhary become an inevitable part of every childhood life back then. From many newspaper columns, journals, and comic books, he made comics and cartoons become a cherished memory of any 90s kids. Even today, no talk about the 90s seems complete unless Pran's Diamond Comics and Chacha Chaudhary don't get mentioned. Here's to the Walt Disney of India, you are the box of our nostalgic memories!