UNCLE ANANT PAI :   CREATOR OF ‘AMAR CHITRAKATHA COMICS’

MadanMohan Tarun

Mr. Anant Pai is the founder of ‘AMAR CHITRA KATHA and creator of ‘Indian Comics’. He is popularly known as ‘uncle Pai.

He was born in Kakala, Karnataka in September 1929 and died on 24^th February 2011. He was brought up in Mumbai, and did his schooling in Orient School Mahim. He studied Chemistry , physics and Chemical technology at the Bombay university.

He launched the ‘Amar Chitra Katha’  series of ‘Indian comics’ in 1967’ and reached stories from  Hindu Mythology to the every corner of India and abroad. It was not enjoyed only by children but people of every age enjoyed this. Its every issue used to be pictorial festival for eyes, heart and mind. It was priced very reasonable and was affordable in comparison to other comics published from India or abroad. Chitra katha was a purposeful publication.

 He was inspired to publish Chitra-katha while once he was  watching  a quiz competition in which many Indian participants  did not know the name of mother of lord Rama, whereas, many foreigners answered these questions very comfortably. Indians knew more of Greek mythology than Indian ones. This hurt Mr. Pai and he made it a point to come out with such a publication which can present stories from Hindu mythology in such an attractive manner that kids of can enrich their knowledge in this field without any effort.  Amar Chitra Katha generated great hunger for such stories.  Apart from Mythology he published Chitra Katha on famous historical events and on heroes and great heroines of the time in progress.

Its 400 hundred titles have been translated into 20 languages and more than 100 million copies have been sold.

But, this success was not achieved so easily. He had to put tremendous effort and shed lot of sweat to reach to his desired jumping point. He worked day and night tirelessly.

The first title KRISHNA of this series was published in 1970. It could not impress people. The publisher lost over 50,000 in first two years. Mr. Pai worked without any payment for three years.. But, from fourth year it came in flow and later it created wonders...

He was loved by millions of children of our country and was addressed as ‘uncle Pai’ with great love for him.

AMAR CHITRA KATHA Comics served as a live museum of Indian Mythology for the children.