Research project

Interviewed Patachitra artist – Anwar at Dastkaar Fair, New Delhi

About Anwar

Anwar is a Patachitra artist from Naya village, Dist-Pashim Medinipur, West Bengal, India, Pin -721140. His family is being doing this art from generations and he is a proud artist to take the legacy forward.

Introduction about Patachitra

It is a traditional storytelling medium of West Bengal. As explained by him “Pata means Katha (Story) and when we tell Katha along with Chitra( pictures) it is known as Patachitra.

The pictures depicting the story are in the form of a scroll painting and as the storyteller narrates the story using songs, he/she keeps on unfolding the scroll in front of the audience. It was earlier a major source of entertainment for the village people when there were no T.V, newspaper, cinema etc.

Stories of Patachitra scroll paintings are generally based on

- Ramayana

- Mahabharata

- Bengal local stories ( Anchalik)

- Mangal Kavay (Mansa Mangal,Mansa Devi is the name of snake god)

- Durga Maa

- Issues and incidents happening around the world

- Islamic – Gazi patas are made in the Border areas between Bangladesh and West Bengal

Originally, the artists who paint these narrative scrolls are known as Patuas. It is usually said that ‘Patuas have no religion in particular’. They used to always travel from one place to another; stay there for a while, collected stories from their society, then made paintings for that particular society and moved to other places.

Patuas believes that to make people enjoy and understand the story more effectively it is very important to take inputs from their society. Resulting the audience relate to it instantly.

Patuas collect the story material by observing and interacting with the target audience for whom they are making the picture story for. They do audience study in terms of their likes, dislikes, behaviour, habits, culture etc

Earlier since Patuas used to travel from one place to another, many of them changed their religion and became Muslims as the place they went had majority of Muslim living population. In order to work among them, they thought that there was no better way-out. Patuas are very secular in terms of their views about religion.

Anwar - the Patachitra artist sets a great example infront of us. Being a Muslim he follows all kinds of Hindu as well as Muslim rituals and also respects others and paints on all subjects with no discrimination. Because of the conversion of religion many Patuas have two names. In curiosity I asked Anwar whether he also has another. He smiled and replied, “I do have, but I have never used it till now. My other name is Boran.”