Move over Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and even Panchatantra and Vikram and Betal — it's time to dig deeper into children's stories from Odisha via Abolakara, traditional children's stories from Odisha. Because that's what Rishav Mohanty's latest illustration is all about. Translated by Prateek Pattanaik, an independent researcher known to use technology to empower language and preserve Odia culture, and illustrated by Rishav, Trishiraa, is one of the 50 tales from the Abolakara series. It is about a three-headed demon who, with one look, can turn people into stone.
"I researched Saura paintings and tried to incorporate elements from it," shares the 24-year-old. The whole illustrated story is up on Rishav's new website, which he launched just two months back, for everyone to see. "I have always hoped to tell stories from my own state. Our Instagram feeds are so full of pop culture and stories from the West, but there are so many local stories that are equally, if not more, imaginative, that are not out there yet," he shares. So he is glad that when he connected with author Devdutt Pattanaik, the writer directed Rishav to Prateek and that's when he decided to work on Trishiraa. "I hope to do many more stories from the series," he says wishfully.
But this is just one part of Rishav's impressive body of work. First, it was the animated movies and cartoons that caught Rishav's attention, especially Tom and Jerry, as a kid. Then it was Bhubaneswar itself, its temple architecture and the Jagannath culture. "In fact, I was a regular fixture of temple lawns when I was a kid, trying to sketch what I saw," he shares. When he headed to NIFT in New Delhi to pursue his Bachelor's degree, things didn't turn out the way he expected. Yet, he was able to strengthen many fundamentals on which he has built his solid portfolio so far. Currently, he is freelancing with Humour Me, an entertainment agency in Delhi and the rest of the time, he dedicates to his own projects.
Whether it the woman who was jumping elegantly with her baby tied behind her back (he spotted her on a trip to Kheerganga in Himachal Pradesh) or a caricature of his own mother, sweating it out in the kitchen to whip up ghanta, the Odia dish comprising 21 vegetables, going by his Instagram page, it's easy to guess that he finds inspiration in daily objects. But another important feature of his work is diversity. Sometimes he uses thick lines and only a few colours from the palette — like the ones he drew for Durga Pooja and Diwali — while others are more contemporary in nature. "The most important aspect for me is honesty. You can train for everything else but honesty, remaining true to the subject material and yourself is difficult to find and that makes all the difference," says the youngster who was born and brought up in Bhubaneswar. And indeed, that has made all the difference.
Films that inspire
- The Exorcist: As a ten-year-old, this was his first experience of watching a horror film which really ignited his curiosity
- Interstellar: He has rewatched this film a number of times and he takes away something different each and every time
- Kiki’s Delivery Service: He is a huge fan of Studio Ghibli films (Japanese animation). Apart from the visually stunning imagery and intelligent characters of this film, it always leaves him with a sense of pause and composure
- Village Rockstars: A film that portrays the dreams of kids living in a flood-hit village of Assam. He personally enjoys such local stories that don't fall into any sugar-coated storytelling.
For more on them, check out rishavmohanty.com
