The `cartoonscape' of Bangalore

The cover of the book by Ananth Shankar

The `cartoonscape' of Bangalore
The Hindu

THIS BOOK to be released on Saturday may help Bangaloreans do something they don't frequently engage in: laugh at their own foibles. Bisi Busy Bangalore is a collection of the "cartoonscapes of the city" as its creator, Ananth Shankar, describes it. There are additional graphics by his friend Kaushik Das.

Both are from NIFT, Delhi, and Shankar has spent enough years here to qualify to be a Bangalorean.

Blurb

If you feel a bit hesitant about opening the book, do read the blurb on the back cover: "A book about a city that's moved from terrific to traffic, w`hole'some to potholed, green to black n' blue, very good to worry good, where we have forgotten to coexist with other spe-shes and spe-hes. A book that encourages [one] to care about a city that's inherently so perfect."

Shankar loves animals and was in fact part of Maneka Gandhi's animal rights campaigns while in New Delhi. In his book, everything is viewed from the perspectives of the protagonist, Sam, the stray (?) dog.

Acronym

The name itself is an acronym for the archetypical Bangalorean phrase: "swalpa adjust maadi."

What Sam doesn't lack is a quirky sense of humour.

Watches BWSSB men drilling and digging deep holes and remarks to his friend (another dog): "Typical of silly humans, they bury their bones so deep, they can't find them again!"

If that was funny, take a look at this one. Sam and friend come across men at work on a road.

The signboard put up by the BDA reads "Road Under Construction."

Sam remarks: "At least, the BDA is being honest; even when they're finished, these roads are "underconstructed." Sam has other four-legged friends too.

Like the cow which vacates its place of repose in the middle of the road in a hurry on seeing an approaching BMTC bus.

"Every time I see a BMTC bus, it makes me do the impossible... clear the road in a hurry!" remarks the cow. Quite some compliment, that.

Sam exhibits his wry sense of humour after passing through one of the city's parks and then exiting on to a road filled with parked cars. He observes: "Bangalore is called a city of parks... and sure enough, park here, park there, cars park everywhere!"

Techies not spared

Bangalore's techies are not spared either.

Like the brand new dog on the block who calls out, "Hey guys, do you want to grab some megabytes?" Sam tells his pal: "He was earlier a software campus stray!"