New Book Glimpses into Work of Pakistani Cartoonist

Roughly two and a half years ago, prolific painter and art instructor Dr. Ajaz Anwar commented on plans to publish a book that would contextualize the writings and sketch work of his late father, Dr. Anwar Ali, an influential political cartoonist. At the time, Dr. Ajaz Anwar's intentions were such that he felt current students of literary and visual journalism needed a refresher of social commentary and its effectiveness. Now, years later, the book has been published, but looks to do more than lend some encouragement to post-secondary art students. According to local news reports, Dr. Ajaz's Nae Reesan Sheher Lahore Diyan is also a smart reflection of historical Lahore, and the old traditions native to eastern Pakistan.


The renowned painter is highly regarded for his mastery of ink and watercolor art, whether for still life or landscape design. Ajaz Anwar has held many exhibitions for his own work, but has recently held gallery openings that exhibit not just his own work, but that of his father as well. Beginning early in April 2012 and concluding later this week, Pakistan's National Art Gallery is showcasing a combination of roughly 300 reproductions and original work from Dr. Ajaz and his father. The exhibition includes architectural and environmental paintings as well as cartoon art, many of which focus on traditional Lahori culture.

Dr. Ajaz's book follows a similar theme. Using his father's cartooning craft, symbolic photography, and published vignettes (which originally appeared in English as well as Punjabi), Dr. Ajaz unveils the culture and traditions of old Lahore. Located in eastern Pakistan, Lahore is the federal republic's second-largest city. The book's thematic balance varies slightly, but ultimately rests on the socio-cultural well-being of the people. Nae Reesan Sheher Lahore Diyan is 352 pages long, covering 107 subjects. Included short stories, by Dr. Anwar, cover "Bicycle," "Khail Tamashy," "Day Padal Tay Padal," "Cha da Cup," and "Sark Kandy Skol."

The art exhibition and launch of Nae Reesan Sheher Lahore Diyan was facilitated by the Pakistan National Council of Arts, the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration, as well as the House of Nanna Trust, which was founded in the name of a character created by the late cartoonist.


According to those who attended the book launch, the book's observation of the color, smell, and flavor of old Lahore is more than a keen look at local culture. The book seeks to capture the folk life, street life, and identity of the people prior to being dulled or corrupted by a "western style of life [that] took people away from each other."

Nae Reesan Sheher Lahore Diyan contains 50 illustrations (cartoons and paintings) that are based on several aspects of Lahori life, including traditional games, foodstuffs, sports, and clothing ("apparels").

Dr. Anwar Ali was born in 1922, in Ludhiana, located roughly 210 km southeast of Lahore. Ludhiana (then East Punjab) now resides in northern India. Dr. Anwar is frequently cited as one of, if not the first professional newspaper editorial cartoonist.

Known largely for creating the child character "Nanna," the cartoonist provided regular commentary on regional social, political, religious, and economic topics. His first thirty-years as a pro took off when he joined Pakistan Times in February 1947 (The Islamic Republic of Pakistan gained independence from British India in August 1947.).

The cartoonist's work focused on the plight of the common folk, finding new and curious ways to underline governmental hypocrisy with visual satire. Dr. Anwar's Nanna character embodied a youthful, down-to-earth spontaneity that required a certain kind of forthrightness from his readership. Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Babur Hazlan summed it up well, during the book launch, saying that Pakistani artists work very hard to promote and protect their socio-cultural traditions and folk heritage -- then and now.by Aaron H. Bynum

(Sources: Thaindian News, Dawn.com, The Nation (Nawaiwaqt Group of Newspapers), PakEdu.net, Daily Times, Business Recorder online, The Frontier Post)