Background
Kaak was born 16 March 1940, at village Pura, Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, the son of a freedom fighter.
Kaak was born 16 March 1940, at village Pura, Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, the son of a freedom fighter.
He is the foremost Hindi cartoonist, having worked with leading newspapers such as Jansatta, Navbharat Times, Dainik Jagran, Rajasthan Patrika, and a few others, in a career spanning several decades. "Kaak" means crow (in Hindi), which according to a Hindi proverb, is the bird that raises its raucous voice when someone tells a lie. He trained to work as a mechanical engineer, but gave up the field to pursue cartooning.
His first cartoon was published in Dainik Jagran in 1967.
He has worked as an editorial cartoonist with Jansatta (Indian Express group) from 1983 to 1985 and with Navbharat Times (Times of India group) from July 1985 to January 1999. He has also been published in Dinman, Shankar"s Weekly, Current, Blitz, Ravivar, Itwari Patrika, Dharamyug, and Saptahik Hindustan.
National Hindi dailies such as Dainik Jagran, Aaj, Navjeevan, Rajasthan Patrika, and Amar Ujala have carried his work. At present he contributes to Prabhasakshi.
He was also Elected as the first president of Cartoonists" Club of India.
Kaak is very commonly called as the Cartoonist of masses, adding that his greatness lies in his brilliant understanding of the problems of the people at the grassroots level Yet, unlike Laxman’s Common Manitoba, Kaak’s Everyman is not a silent spectator to the goings-on. He is a vocal commentator.
Kaak’s female characters too are strong characters.
Awards and Honors Books Like Charlie Brown, ultimately the appeal of Kaak"s persona, lies in his ability to laugh and feel ashamed at human folly: Mrinal Pandey (Editor-in-chief Dainik Hindustan, Hindustan Times Publications) I am speaker of Loksabha (Parliament) merely with five hundred members, while Kaak is speaker of Loksabha with members in millions: Balram Jakhar (Speaker of Lok Sabha, 16 December 1986, Public Honour in Haridwar).