A cartoon by Ravikant Nandula
In short, news is not a social media, modern-day phenomenon. In olden times, newspapers published pocket cartoons or single panel illustrations that depicted the essence of current affairs in a pithy, witty way. Pocket, an exhibition by Ravikant Nandula, showcases the artist’s best work created over the last five years for The Hindu Business Line.
Yet, when there is a flood of events and developments coming your way, how do you sift and filter the news that you can use? For cartoonist Ravikath Nandula the choice has always been simple. “It depends on how relevant a topic is. Will the image evoke something in the audience’s mind or provoke them? Knowing what not to show helps in decision making,” says the Hyderabad-based cartoonist.
“Second, is it funny and does it spark further thought? You only have one chance to present a pithy comment to readers and you have to make it count.”
Ravikant says he uses the litmus test to measure whether a person will react to a situation the way he has portrayed it. “This is the criteria I use before sending a draft for approval,” he says, adding that although it works for the most part, “there are times when you get egg on your face.”
Ravikant Nandula
It’s this sense of humor that shines through in his work, whether he’s tackling the market economy, the climate crisis, cyber security or unemployment.In a sketch.
Ravikant, who has been illustrating for some of South India’s leading publications since the 1980s, says he was always doodling and sketching, and it was a childhood goal to become a professional cartoonist. “As a student, I was interested in science and technology, but the turning point came when the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research began publishing my images regularly in its science magazine.”
He began providing illustrations to accompany feature articles in magazines and journals and meanwhile equipped himself with an engineering degree. “This was a time before the Internet and anyone spent hours reading old issues in the British Library The Punch, Blitz And other magazines,” he says, adding that this not only gave him insight into the world of news and images, but also resulted in a lifelong admiration of RK Laxman, his ‘biggest influence’, and others like Charles Saxon, Mario Miranda and Abu Abraham.
Ravikant entered the world of journalism at a time when reforms were shaking not only the industry but also the country. Newspapers, which previously outsourced caricatures and images to international news agencies, were looking for home-grown talent. And India rose above the status of ‘developing nation’ and provided ample fodder.
A cartoon by Ravikant Nandula
“Over the past few years, topics like science and technology that were once niche became part of the mainstream.” He explains how his cartoons on topics like AI are now part of mainstream news. “About 20 years ago, it took time for such a concept to become common knowledge. The Internet has helped give cartooning a new dimension.”
Ravikant says this applies not only to the dissemination of news, but also to how content is created. Over his years as a cartoonist, he has gone from sketching with charcoal pencil, his favorite medium, to using electronic and digital media to integrate his work in the newsroom.
Kasturi & Sons Ltd Chairman K Venugopal will inaugurate the pocket on November 15 at 11 am.
Pocket, a solo show of cartoons by Ravikant N, will be displayed at the Indian Cartoon Gallery, Bengaluru till November 30, 2025. Entry free, closed on Sundays.
published – November 12, 2025 09:35 PM IST