A Career In Satire

Shekhar Gurera has spent years observing the common man in an effort to add wit and character to his work as an editorial cartoonist for several leading Indian publications

- Shekhar Gurera

How did you discover your passion for cartooning?

SG: I was extraordinarily passionate about drawing, sketching and cartooning as a child, and often won prizes in competitions. Due to the lack of awareness however, I never thought of considering any of these as a career, and they remained hobbies. In 1984 I was in the 12th standard, and the education system in Punjab was disturbed due to terrorism and instability. During a break I visited Delhi for several days and a family friend took me to visit the design studio of a senior artist to let me get an idea of what a career in design entailed. After the 12th I opted to pursue BSc in Patiala, where I came in touch with local media who used to publish updates of my achievements in extracurricular activities. Without knowing much about the technicalities of art, I started CARTOONIST contributing occasionally to them as a freelancer. I used to make caricatures of our college professors and by the time I graduated in 1986, I was a big name in a small city!

That was the turning point of my life - I realized that I was not made for science, and taking a bold decision I tried to get admission into College of Art, New Delhi. As a science graduate, technically I was not qualified to take admission but fortunately my portfolio of achievements made the management treat me as a special case. As a design student in the capital, I got time to sketch and continued freelancing with various media houses. By the time I got my BFA degree, I was an established name in the field of cartooning, and was contributing routine cartoons to various media houses in different states.

Did formal education help your career?