The comic industry has lost one of the pioneers who initiated the comic book industry in India, Gulshan Rai. Born on 17 November 1951, Rai took his last breath on 21 December and the industry is saddened by his death. Founder of comic publishing and distribution company Diamond Comics, he is survived by his two sons Aanshul Verma and Abhiram Himanshu. Verma will now take his father’s legacy ahead.
One of India’s largest comic publishing and distribution companies, Rai founded Diamond Comics in 1978. Its original comic characters like Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo, Pinki, Motu Patlu and many more are loved and cherished by the Indians. Rai also started publishing foreign comics such as Phantom, Mandrake, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, He-Man and James Bond in Hindi. Besides fiction publications, Diamond Comics also had non-fiction publications, some of them being Swami Ramadev’s Yoga Sandesh, Osho Today, Health Plus and Vastu. Besides publishing, it also ventured into the field of 2D and 3D animation and digitization of comic books. Its television serials and programs based on their fun-loving and popular cartoon characters continue to entertain viewers of all age groups.
Over the course of life, Rai was conferred with several awards and accolades which included Animation Xpress’ CBAM Lifetime Achievement Award; International Quality Summit Award for Excellence; Business Prestige Award from Business Initiative Direction, Madrid; International Professional of the year from the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge; Bhartiya Udyog Ratna Award from the National Education & Human Resource Development Organization and World Business Leader Award from the World Confederation of Businesses Houston. He was also recognised and felicitated by WHO’S WHO Historical Society, US.
Here’s what the industry has to say about Gulshan Rai:
Animation Xpress founder, chairman and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari said, “He was a pioneer in the world of children’s comic books and will always be remembered. The characters created will regale children and adults alike for generations to come.”
Fenil Comics’ owner Fenil Sherdiwala commented, “We lost a man who decided when foreign publishers have their own superheroes, why can’t we have our own desi heroes? The man who started the trend of supervillains in the Indian comics industry with Raka. My first comic book that my mom bought for me was Chacha Chaudhary and Raka. Later I started reading comic books. We lost a gem of the Indian comics industry who inspired many publishers and also inspired new readers to accept reading as hobbies. Big loss for the Indian comics industry.”
Abhijeet Kini Studios founder Abhijeet Kini said, “The passing of Gulshan Rai is surely the end of an era. He introduced us to classic characters and of course his very accessible and much loved titles, especially Chacha Chaudhary. We will miss him.”
Indusverse CCO and co-founder Alok Sharma said, “While working on my documentary, I got the chance to meet Gulshanji who had just come from his chemotherapy session. He was a very approachable, strong willed and determined person with great convincing power; one of the examples being when he convinced Pran who used to create only comic strips to venture into creating comic books. He wanted India to have its own superhero and that’s how India’s first comic book superhero Fauladi Singh was born which was modelled after freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azaad. Because of Gulshanji’s planning and strategies, Diamond Comics could reach Indians everywhere. I clearly remember him saying – Jaha bhi akhbaar pahonch sakta hai, waha Diamond Comics bhi paya jaega (wherever there are newspaper stands, Diamond Comics will be found). And this is true. During one of my travels to a village, I did find Diamond Comics.”
Animation Xpress offers its sincere condolences to his family.