We’re celebrating World Art Day by looking back at some of our iconic artwork over the years. Most of these artists still work with us regularly!
Archives: history
#OnThisDay in 1919, British troops opened fire on thousands of unarmed Indians celebrating the festival of Vaisakhi in Amritsar, Punjab, in what has come to be called the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Today, Jallianwala Bagh is a memorial of national significance and one of the most visited historical sites in Amritsar.
Illustration: Ram Waeerkar
Script: Toni Patel
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The story of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy is set in the turbulent years of the 19th century when the East India Company was slowly increasing its stranglehold over India. It is the story of one man’s indomitable spirit against a system which was cold and ruthless.
Born with a questioning mind, the young Narasimha could not fathom how a foreign nation could suddenly be telling his people how to live. His questions led him to the wise sage, Gossayi Venkanna, who saw in the boy his own fire and fervour. He trained Narasimha into a lethal war machine and sent him out to rally the people of Renadu (known now as Rayalaseema) to fight against the oppressors.
Narasimha Reddy single-handedly recruited an army of people from every section of society and transformed them into a skilled fighting unit. This was one of the first confrontations against the British in South India. Though his efforts were scuttled by betrayal by his own people, Narasimha Reddy’s fight against the British was one of the most sustained of his time.
‘Narasimha Reddy’ is available on the Amar Chitra Katha app, as well as Amazon, Flipkart and other major e-tailers.
Venkatarama Pandit Krishnamurthy was a freedom fighter and a legendary cinematographer. In 1951, he worked as an assistant cinematographer for Baazi, which was Guru Dutt’s directorial debut. Impressed by Murthy’s fluid captures, Guru Dutt made him the chief cinematographer of his next film. Soon, Murthy became Guru’s favourite and this duo shared a unique bond with each other, which lasted until Guru’s last breath.
In 1959 came Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool, India’s first cinemascope film. Dutt’s direction and Murthy’s cinematography created history in Indian cinema, becoming one of the most illustrious examples of the medium. Murthy gave India some of its finest work through films like Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Aar Paar, Pakeezah, Razia Sultan, Naya Zamana, Jugnu, and Tamas. His contribution to the Indian film industry was so immense and impressive that he was awarded the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and honoured with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2010.
Today marks the sixth death anniversary of V.K. Murthy. Amar Chitra Katha pays tribute to the artist who left an indelible mark in the Indian film industry.
Born a prince, Mahavira renounced his worldly titles and possessions to become an ascetic. He wandered everywhere with not even a tiny piece of cloth to protect from the elements. His followers were many, including royalty. Mahavira is the founder of Jainism, built on the core principle of ahimsa or non-violence. This principle is not restricted to man alone, but to every living creature on the planet, be it fauna or flora.
On the occasion of Mahavira Jayanti, let us all try to inculcate these pearls of wisdom from the great monk.
Amar Chitra Katha’s ‘Mahavira’ is available on the Amar Chitra Katha app as well as Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers.
Here is a quote by Rabindranath Tagore to remind you that no matter how bad a situation may be, there is always a way out.
On the occasion of World Meteorology Day, let’s take a moment to remember renowned physicist, Anna Mani. From heading a team of 12 men at the Indian Meteorological Department to developing the Indian ozonesonde instrument, from publishing books on meteorology to setting up the Meteorological Observatory at Thumba for India’s first rocket launch, Anna Mani left an indelible mark on our country’s progress in the field of meteorology.
Read Anna Mani’s story in Amar Chitra Katha’s ‘Women Path-breakers of India’, available on the Amar Chitra Katha app as well as Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers.
Nowruz is the Persian or Iranian New Year, celebrated by Parsis across India. It is a holy day for Zorastrians and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s why it is usually celebrated on the day of the March equinox i.e. when the sun is directly over the equator. As per the Iranian calendar, this day marks the beginning of a new year. The word Nowruz literally translates to ‘new day’ in Persian.
This Nowruz, let us look to Zarathushtra’s words for guidance and happiness.
Amar Chitra Katha’s ‘Zarathushtra’ is available on the Amar Chitra Katha app as well as Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers.
A luminary in the horizon of classical music, Ustad Vilayat Khan created magic with his instruments. He was conferred with special decorations of ‘Bharat Sitar Samrat’ and ‘Aftab-e-Sitar’ (Sun of the Sitar).
In a career spanning over six decades, he released between 70 and 100 commercials, composed and conducted scores for three feature films, and was responsible for creating and developing gayaki ang sitar and surbahar. To play gayaki ang means to sing through the instruments with the versatility of human voice and Vilayat Khan was a master at this.
Ustad Vilayat Khan passed away on March 13, 2004, from lung cancer.
Illustration: Souren Roy
I would rather look forward to the opening of a new chapter in his history after the cataclysm is over and the atmosphere rendered clean with the spirit of service and sacrifice. Perhaps that dawn will come from this horizon, from the East where the Sun rises. A day will come when an unvanquished Man will retrace his path of conquest, despite all barriers, to win back his lost human heritage.
The above is an excerpt from Rabindranath Tagore’s last speech, which he delivered on his last birthday, in 1941, at Santiniketan, West Bengal. His speech, Crisis in Civilization, is as relevant today as it was then.
On the occasion of World Speech Day, let’s recollect the words of the legendary man that changed the world. The theme of this year is ‘Thoughts for a better world’. Let’s use the power of thoughts and spoken words to make the world a better place to live.
