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The immortal Budugu

So captivating are Bapu images that his admirers want to preserve them for posterity, says K. SRIMALI

ART Bapu's images are still a rage PHOTO: RAJU. V

Just a mention of the name Bapu brings smiles on the faces of Telugus. Such is the spell the artiste has cast on the masses across Andhra Pradesh over the years. Whether it is the little Budugu with his trademark mischievous smile or the traditional Telugu girl with a beautiful jada (plait) looking back over her shoulders, Bapu's line art has earned him a large fan following in the Telugu Diaspora during the last 60 years.

M. Rajaram is one among them. But unlike other admirers of the artiste, Mr. Rajaram chose to do some thing special to preserve Bapu's countless characters - social and mythological - for years to come. He began the activity of resurrecting the popular creations of Bapu on photo frames, cups, greeting cards and tabletop calendars under the brand name `Impressions - The Art Printers'. The pictures are high quality digital reproductions.

Mr. Rajaram is exhibiting them in a stall aptly named Bapu Bommala Koluvu at the ongoing Vijayawada Book Festival. "My aim is to see Bapu's pictures on the walls of every Telugu home," Mr. Rajaram says with his passion reflecting in his eyes.

Continuing legacy

However, selling Bapu's pictures is not a business for Mr. Rajaram. It is more of a mission. "My bread and butter come from my regular business of screen printing. For long, I did not want to do any business on these pictures.

But Bapu garu himself told me once that I should do some thing to pass on his art to future generations," he recalled. For many years, Mr. Rajaram doggedly pursued Bapu, who is known to be reluctant to part with his creations, and built up a bank of about 100 original sketches done exclusively for him.

"But it was only after he (Bapu) saw the colour combination I had done for Sivakesava picture, which he had originally done for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, that he was fully convinced that I could do justice to his pictures.

But I still seek his final approval for all colour combinations before printing them," he reveals.

Mr. Rajaram says there is still a lot of patronage to Bapu's pictures. An exhibition organised at Shilparamam three years ago drew huge and unprecedented crowds. "Many visitors are just not able to leave my stall," he points out.

Mr. Rajaram has also reprinted Ramayanam done by Bapu-Ramana duo long ago by adding some new illustrations. It has gone out of print now. Mr. Rajaram has already published Mahabharatham, done on similar lines. Another one named Sri Krishna Leelalu is in the pipeline.

"I want to make Budugu popular among kids as a Pokemon or a Dennis the Menace is. For this, I want to print stickers, pencils, rubbers, and everything that kids use with pictures of Budugu on it," he rounds off.

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