30 October,2023 07:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Devanshi Doshi
The Last Ride
Yes, another year has almost passed by. This writer's long list of 2023 resolutions will now pass on to 2024, as has become a habit. But luckily for us, cartoonist Karthik Nakkana AKA Batatasaurus has come up with just the calendar to lift our mood.
Nakkana, who originates from Andhra Pradesh, shifted to the city in January this year. "My father was in the Indian Air Force, so I never stayed in one place for too long. And now, owing to my profession as an architect, I continue to move around," he tells us, adding that his illustrations have always found inspiration in his immediate surroundings that keep changing. Naturally, this year was all about Mumbai Nagariya. His illustrations record the year-long chaos he witnessed in the city that with a humorous but raw touch.
One of our favourites include a crammed up, flooded bylane of the city, where people are seeking shelter from the rains using upside-down umbrellas, swim suits, and newspapers. The water is knee-deep, and yet a man is found looking at his watch, waiting for his ride to work; another one is joyously selling chai - it's his season, after all. A barber continues to give his customer a haircut in the open, as a man drags his broken-down scooter to his destination, and a fisherwoman inspects her catch. "I wanted to portray the city from an outsider's perspective," he adds. His take on the last ride of the non-AC double decker bus cracked us up, with people going against odds to make sure they are a part of the last ride before the city icon vanishes from the roads forever. These illustrations will make part of his A-5-sized desk calendar called Mumbai Nagariya 2024, which will be available for sale by the second week of November.
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