In a caricature competition for school students, it was a work on the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which pipped the one of the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the first prize here on Saturday.
The competition was one of the highlights of a one-day cartoon workshop held at St. Aloysius High School, Kodialbail on Saturday.
About 85 studentsattended the workshop and they were asked to draw caricatures to test their potential as future cartoonists or artists.
Three judges – John Chandran, art teacher of the host school, Harischandra Shetty (better known as Harini) and Mumbai-based artist from this region Prashanth Shetty (who is known by his nickname Chitramitra) were left with three choices – works showing Mr. Manmohan Singh, Mr. Modi and Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj – to choose the best one from.
Mr. Chandran told The Hindu Mr. Manmohan Singh’s caricature by Dhanush of St. Aloysius was a clear winner.
The three felt that Dhanush had used clean lines and the caricature was closer in likeness to the politician. “It was a ditto (caricature),” he said.
Shifali M. of St. Mary’s High School, Falnir’s caricature of Mr. Modi, with his trademark victory symbol, failed the likeness test and the strokes were simpler. The Vatal Nagaraj caricature by Prajwal K. also of the host school – showing the pro-Kannada activist in one of his trademark protests – got the third prize.
The day-long event featured “Tendulkar-toons” – an exhibition of 60 cartoons of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar – all collections of Jeevan Shetty of Udupi, and also an exhibition of as many cartoons by the students of the host school made in preparation of event.
About 15 strips of cartoons in the Nimmi series made by Mr. Chandran were also on display.