When Pran Kumar Sharma passed away, I wondered what could I share as tribute. I hit the search bar of the flashback section of my brain after entering Pran's name. Here are my 3 childhood memories that explain my fascination with the comics made by Pran.
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1995 - I was a studying in Class 4. My mom was making me study for a science test. I was trying to study my notes but in my mind, there were stories from Chacha Chaudhary Aur Udne waali Car (Flying Car).
My father asked my mother, "What do you think? Iska mann padhai main kyon nahin lag raha hai!"
(TRANSLATION: What do you think? Why is he not concentrating in studies!)
My mother said, "Yeh kyon padhai main dimaag lagayenge! Chale gaye honge apne chacha ke paas!"
(TRANSLATION: Why would he concentrate on studies? He must have gone to his uncle!)
The moment I heard that, I had a vision. In that vision, I was an animated character walking in front Chacha Chaudhary. Chacha was sitting on a couch, eating rasgullas. He looked at me and said, "Aao aao baitho! Arey Tingu Master, ek chair iske liye le aao!"
(TRANSLATION: Hey come, come! Hey Tingu Master! Get a chair for him!)
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1995 again - Me studying for history test. Reading about Emperor Ashoka filled my mind with Chacha Chaudhary Aur Samraat Ashok ka Khazana. My mom saw that and said, "You are not concentrating on your studies! Chale gaye hoge apne uncle ke paas! Turban uncle ke paas!"
(TRANSLATION: Again you have gone to your turban uncle!)
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1998 - I was reading a comic of Pinky. Pinky went to her grandfather and asked him, "Dada Jee! Aap kya padh rahe hain?"
(TRANSLATION: Grandpa! What are you reading?)
Grandfather: Kavita!
(TRANSLATION: Poem!)Pinky: Jab aap woh kavita padh sakte hain toh meri kyon nahin?
(TRANSLATION: When you can read that poem, then why not my poem?)
Grandfather: Kyonki yeh kavita Rabindra Nath Tagore kee hai! Kisi nauseekhiye ki nahin.
(TRANSLATION: Because this poem has been written by Rabindranath Tagore! Not by some punk!)
I was so angry when I read that. I said, "Because of Rabindranath Tagore, Pinky got insulted! Over this comic, I take a pledge that I will never read anything written by Rabindra Nath Tagore!"
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In school, I had to read Kabuliwala by Tagore out of compulsion as the government that controlled CBSE belonged to the political party that was endorsed by Tagore. Woh meri majboori thi (That was a compulsion for me).
Today, I am a writer by hobby. Comics, novels, articles, blog posts, I read both Indian as well as Western. I write stories, rhymes, articles. Combining comics and novels, I have read many authors. But I never touched anything written by Tagore. Once my cousin requested me to buy Tagore's Geetanjali for her. Out of courtesy, I purchased it and gifted it to her. But I never read it.
I thank Pran for making my childhood awesome. And I also thank Raj Comics along with Pran. In Diamond Comics, I read only Pran. For comedy, it was Pran for me. For action, it was Raj Comics for me. For a change, Bankelal and Fighter Toads.
RIP Pran! May God bless your soul.
