Satire Personified: Partha Jyoti Borah

North East, which is one of the most beautiful parts of the country is unexplored in terms of art. It has a lot of talent that can really blow your mind. One World News came across a versatile personality, Partha Borah, who can titillate your thought process by his compelling caricatures.

During a candid conversation with him, he revealed about his journey as a caricature artist.

1. What kind of a person is Partha Jyoti Borah?

PJB: I have always been a rational being. I spent my childhood and adolescence in the beautiful landscape of Assam which only ignites creative, innovative and progressive thoughts. However, the beautiful landscape was, nevertheless, marred with long driven political unrest and the eventual bloodshed. Thus this unfortunate cocktail of roses and guns had a deep impact in the making of ‘me’. The mounting up thoughts ventilated only when I started expressing them in the form of cartoons and satire literature. I am a satirist who wants to breathe free so that I keep conceiving new ideas to draw.

Versatile artist

2. How did you land up making your career as a caricature artist?

PJB: Cartoons and caricatures have always fascinated me. I believe this is one of the strongest forms of media. A cartoon can express a phenomenon in a more penetrating manner which perhaps a 1000 word write-up can’t. I used to observe every person who comes across my life. My priority was to find a facial feature such as pouted lips, hawk nose, double chin, fire ball eyes, king size moustache etc on that person. By doing so, I intend to draw that person highlighting the features which, nevertheless, also attribute or define the characteristic of that person. This habit finally landed me into cartooning and caricaturing. I devoted myself into drawing caricatures of politicians, cultural icons and sportspersons of Northeast India. The idea is to bring out the Northeastern region which is more often less heard off in the mainland area of the country.

3. Who is your favorite artist?

PJB: I have always admired Abu Abraham; the erstwhile editorial cartoonist of Indian Express. His works on the front page of IE during emergency were highly cherished. One of his works symbolically showing a ballot box with a punch line “cast your vote; but you don’t vote your caste” is much talked about even today. Of the co temporary cartoonists, The Hindu’s Keshav’s works inspire me a lot. His natural stroke and the concept behind those strokes are trendsetters.

His best collection

4. What inspires you to draw such beautiful cartoons?

PJB: As I told you life, as it unfolds around me, inspires me to draw. I am here to stop rumours and spread humour. I always carry a spiral bound note-book with me. You never know when you will hit an inspiring moment which will blossom into an idea. The moment an incident or a story or a person inspires me to an idea, I scribble it down in the notebook in my own way; so that it can be drawn and brushed later. Moreover, the art of story-telling attracts me a lot.

5. So, do you also practice other forms of art as well, such as painting?

PJB: Well, I don’t practice any other forms of visual art; however, I will cease to be an artist if I do not admire all other forms of art. Apart from cartooning, I being a satirist, also write true stories. “True Story and not so True Story” is my column posted at www.cartoontree.in for the last one year. I want my readers to laugh at my words while also thinking more critically about the matters that are talked about in the piece.

6. What do you like to do in your leisure time?

PJB: In my free time, I desire to live closer to nature. In Delhi I don’t get much natural splendor to mingle; hence I keep on mounting all my leisure time to the yearend so that I can take an extended holiday to enjoy nature. During those days I mostly visit the Northeastern states of India which is a paradise unexplored.

Raising Social issues

7. If given a chance what would like to opt for as a career apart from a caricature artist?

PJB: Hmmm; I am a working journalist anyway and I cover mostly political events of the country. So, this helps me get the insights of the Indian politicians. Most of them are funny-looking and their works also generate lots of laughter. Hence they are my food for thought to draw on. And apart from these jobs, I dream, actually it’s a pipe-dream, to become a rapper or a theater actor although I am bad at both.

8. You have a wide range of sketches with you and most of them reflect social issues of our country such as female feticide so, do you also feel that our county really needs a change?

PJB: Probably change is the only thing our country needs at this juncture. And see I am only a messenger; my role is to, without any bias and prejudice, send across a direct or indirect message to the public critically. My cartoons are exactly doing that. And yes I choose wide range of contemporary issues like feticide, racial discrimination, women being raped etc to draw a cartoon. I and all other fellow artists while performing their art are only making the country a better place to live. And we being the catalyst of the society, INSHAHALLAH the change is inevitable.

Caricatures

9. Do you have want to share some memorable experiences associated with your sketches that you have drawn?

PJB: In my last exhibition, a lady came to me and urged me to work on a project that will have a strong as well as humorous message on quitting alcohol. She wanted the cartoon to gift it to her alcoholic husband. Seeing my works she started believing that I can draw something which will carry such a strong message that after seeing, it will eventually provoke her husband to quit alcohol.

10. There are so many people who are extremely talented and draw beautiful sketches but due to lack of the right platform they are not able to opt it as their career so, do you provide a platform to new comers?

PJB: Off course; the website of which I am the editor is actually a spring board for those upcoming cartoonists. All that they need is the freedom to think and express. Everywhere I go, I keep searching for talents so that I can have a reservoir of a talent pool. I always encourage the satirist in them to breathe free.

Made on wonderful themes

So, if you are also passionate for caricature this vibrant artist is the best person to get in touch with. You can email him at parthaborah@yahoo.co.in