# Bengal

Cartoons capture many hues of city

Durga Puja that has received an intangible cultural heritage tag from UNESCO has reached an altogether new dimension with the magical touch of Sentoo.

TARUN GOSWAMI | Kolkata | February 3, 2023 9:31 am

A stall displaying the cartoons of Sentoo titled Sentoor Cartoon is a crowd puller at the International Kolkata Book Fair which is being held at the Boimela Prangan at the Central Park in Salt Lake.

Arijit Kar, popularly known as Sentoo, is a well known name in the world of cartoon in Bengal.

Sentoo’s beauty is that through his cartoons he does not highlight political issues or personalities. The stall (317), the only of kind in the book fair has highlighted three major issues, Durga Puja, heritage buildings and important places like the Victoria Memorial Hall, Nandan among other places.

One is amazed to see cartoons on coffee mugs, wall hangings, coasters and fridge magnets. There have been visitors at the cartoon centre since the fairground opened at noon and the majority of them are youngsters.

Durga Puja that has received an intangible cultural heritage tag from UNESCO has reached an altogether new dimension with the magical touch of Sentoo. One gets cartoons from Kumartuli where the clay artisans make the idols. The reaction of people watching the artisans making the idols has been put up.

One finds Lord Ganesh driving a scooter with Kola Bou (his banana tree wife) on the pillion. There are cartoons on the revolutionaries of Bengal too. City landmarks like the high court, Nandan and Victoria Memorial hall have come back to life in Sentoo’s pen and paper. The ambiance of the busy court area, young couple at the Victoria Memorial staring at each other and visitors loitering in the open are highlighted.

Sentoo said the popularity of cartoons has not gone down but there are few cartoonists. “Young people love to see cartoons, particularly those which are non-political,” he said, adding, “More and more artists should come forward to draw cartoons for fun and to communicate a positive message.”