Uncle Pai, A Biography

by Rajessh M Iyer

About the Book

Three decades of storytelling, over six hundred comic books, an extremely successful children’s monthly magazine, and millions of readers in India spanning at least four generations... This is the legacy of Uncle Pai, and this is the story of the man often referred to as “India’s master storyteller”. children growing up in the India of the 1970s, 1980s, and the 1990s, had one common factor uniting them—their lovely association with Amar Chitra Katha. They bought copies, exchanged them, bound them in sets to proudly display to everyone... And, even flicked them from friends, if they didn't own a particular issue! Growing up reading his creations was an essential rite of passage that escaped no one. And all this fun, frenzy, and madness was thanks to the epoch-making vision of one man: Anant Pai. From a small village in Karnataka to Mumbai, Anant Pai’s journey and vision, which eventually touched countless lives across many generations, is as interesting as the books he created. Filled with little known stories from the creation of these epochal brands, Uncle Pai by Rajessh M Iyer chalks his journey and serves as a testimony of the man's indomitable spirit that helped millions across India get to know their cultural roots. Little wonder then that we too, like innumerable children, acknowledge his contribution by saying: thank you, Uncle Pai!.

About the Author

A media professional for over two decades, Rajessh M Iyer is a storyteller and has been a part of many media houses, notable being Magna Publications, Macmillan India, and Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd., in various capacities like Chief Editor, Creative Head, and CEO. He is the author of two books for children: Nanha Natkhat: Tales of Little Krishna and Valiant Warriors. He has also authored five novels: the Amazon India #1 bestseller, Evading the Shadows, a fictional spy thriller set during the Mahabharata; Hari and Friends—A Holi Adventure, a nostalgic, coming-of-age story set in India of the ’80s; Spinner of the Twisted Tale, a wondrous story of a storyteller’s life; Karmic Souls, a love story amidst spiritual awakening; and Mind Whisperer, a fictional retelling of the last four days in the life of Karna during the Mahabharata War. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, son, and father.

344 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2021

About the author

A media professional for over two decades, Rajessh M Iyer is a storyteller and has been a part of many media houses, notable being Magna Publications, Macmillan India, and Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd., in various capacities like Chief Editor, Creative Head, and CEO. He is the author of two books for children: Nanha Natkhat: Tales of Little Krishna and Valiant Warriors. He has also authored five novels: the Amazon India #1 bestseller, Evading the Shadows, a fictional spy thriller set during the Mahabharata; Hari and Friends—A Holi Adventure, a nostalgic, coming-of-age story set in India of the ’80s; Spinner of the Twisted Tale, a wondrous story of a storyteller’s life; Karmic Souls, a love story amidst spiritual awakening; Mind Whisperer, a fictional retelling of the last four days in the life of Karna during the Mahabharata War; Uncle Pai, biography of Mr. Anant Pai, the man who created the iconic Amar Chitra Katha, Jabberwockiers, a poignant tale of a father and daughter relationship and The Scarlet Horizon, an unusual view at one of the events of the Mahabharata. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, son, and father. For more details on the author, please visit his website: www.rajesshmiyer.com.

Reviews

[Vikas Singh · Rating 1 out of 5]

A crude attempt to document the life history of a man who was instrumental in introducing Indian history and culture to millions of people. There is nothing in the book which is not already available in the public domain. The author’s note in the beginning made me keep the book away for weeks till I could drag myself to read further. Downright boring and feeble attempt to document history of comics in India, the book lacks serious in-depth research. The important period in Anant Pai’s life between the fire at ACK office in 1994 till his death in 2011 is left completely untouched.

[Rohit Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncle Pai - Rajesh M Iyer.

I must have mentioned this umpteen times by now that when it comes to books, I am seriously born with amazing luck. A lot of Authors (some are now actually good friends now) are so kind that before even I order their books online, they approach me to read there books (as if they were already not in my wish list) and top of that I get the signed copies fresh out of oven :). It takes me a few hours before my allergy kicks in after I smell those fantastic brand new copies to actually start reading them. And this one was no different but there was a reason why I actually had to take a break from my office work and get up early before my household got up so I could read the Biography on an Uncle who we all loved back in the days. Somehow I totally forgot about him till this book happened and Rajesh was simply amazing to choose me as one of the early readers. Wow! First thing I did after finishing this amazing life story was to call my Mom and ask her if she could check our own library for as many "Amar Chitra Kathas" and "Tinkles" from back in the days that I was able to collect. They were definitely not cheap but my darling mother never said no to books and not at all to comics which should have been part of school's curiculum. I am going to seriously bill him now if I am not able to find my old collection in reading order as his book has totally intrigued me to get the whole lot, read it back to back and hand it over to my teenage kiddo who I am not sure but pray that she loves Uncle Pai's creations as much as my generation loved it. If I ever wanted to read Biography on any Comic writers life, this was definitely in contention with Mr. Pran's life as and when it comes out, eagerly waiting. Food for thought Mr. Rajesh :) you've gotta get that in your kitty now as I believe there is no such book available in the market.

Right from the moment I jumped into "Uncle Pai" like literally, I've been thinking :) can there be a person especially in India who haven't heard of "Amar Chitra Katha" or its creator Mr. Anant Pai's name? Please raise your hand if you haven't (and let me get my gun to shoot you in the first place if you exist) :). I very well remember that I started reading my Mom's books when I was in 5th Standard as such was my appetite for books and reading. She will snatch them out of my hands and hand me over a few bucks to get my own books and direct me to the right book fair's which kept happening in our town during those days. There was a few small libraries too which will have us pick up books on rent as low as 10 paise in mid to late 80's. I very well remember having picked up the fastest fat bounded books so I could cover at least five comics in one shot :) if a Digest form was not available. If you were born in 70's you will precisely know what I am talking. And Uncle Pai's books were always on top of our priority list back then, although my memory doesn't serve me so well but it won't be an exaggeration to say I must have read if not more at least half of his comics and Tinkles as I am surprised to know through his life story that he indeed was not only a genius but a man with a mission to teach not only Indian values through his books but also so much about our own mythology and golden past. In between reading this book I asked my daughter if she knew who Lord Ram's mother was :) and that confused smile and rolling eyes told me that I've gotta get her own set of these books so next time she is able to answer my questions based on our own past. They do not teach that enough in school curriculum these days. I am assuming just like me a majority of my generation people will be huge fans of Uncle Pai and you will for sure lay your hands on this must have must read book. I am not going to disclose anything here but a few things Uncle Pai's fan following not only included a few of our own Prime Ministers or Presidents but also a Friendly nations President who would actually call him to understand the meaning of a Sanskrit shloka :) can anyone beat that.

One question or shall I say one thing that I missed in this biography is that there is one part of his life which isn't explored much (again that is one thing that I would not like to disclose here to spoil it for those who would surely read this book), I will direct that query to Mr. Writer right after this post. And one thing that I totally disliked is the way he refers to Amar Chitra Katha as ACK in who narrative :) totally not done. It may have added another few pages but those three magic words are just incomparable. I have read almost all of his books and I must say, this is his best work so far and none of his earlier stories (that I loved much) comes any closer to this one and I am surprised by my own words that I have actually loved a Non fiction more than Fiction. If you have read "Amar Chitra Katha" and "Tinkle" back then, do let me know how you loved them and if you still have your collection with you? Unlike me who will have to use power of blackmail to get it out of my own mom :).

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncle Pai is the biography of Anant Pai, beloved storytelling uncle of generations of young readers. From the sixties to the nineties, Pai's creations achieved legendary status within children's literature and book publishing as a whole in India. Indrajal comics, Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle - he handled multiple roles of editor, creator, educator, storyteller, writer, even overlooking illustrations, marketing and distribution to achieve his ultimate goal of 'a book in the hands of every child in India'. From being ridiculed and dismissed over imparting education through a medium of entertainment (comic books were considered frivolous at the time), his comics and magazines received support from his primary group - children themselves, who said they learnt more about Indian epics, mythology and regional stories from Amar Chitra Katha than from school textbooks. In an era devoid of social media and influencers, Uncle Pai did indeed reach every household in the country and outside, with his creations being translated into numerous regional and international languages. The story of an orphan who spent his life bringing happiness to children can never receive enough justice in a book, even less so in a review. A wonderful book for anyone who loves to read, and reminisce on the books that turned them into readers as children.

[Komal Kumari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book:- Uncle Pai, A Biography
Author:- Rajessh M Iyer
Format:- Kindle
Ratings:- ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Uncle Pai is well-known to late 90's kids. I too heard of this character from my siblings. He was popularly called an “Iconic Legend” in the comic genre.

Kids really loved this comic character and I know why just after reading this book authored by Rajessh M Iyer. The author needs to be appreciated for scribbling such an interesting and captivating read mirroring the in and out of Uncle Pai's monolopy brands.

Coming to the storyline, it depicts how Uncle Pai gained support from his better half named Mrs. Lalita Pai. The protagonist in the book is Uncle Pai whose original name is Mr. Anant Pai. You will come to know why and how Mrs. Pai came to be recognised as the “Rock of Gibraltar”.

Do you know Uncle Pai became an outstanding storyteller! Know how all yourselves by just diving deep into the storyline.

Thank You.
Happy Reading 📚

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts with the prologue where the office of Amar Chitra Katha has been engulfed in the fire and all the unique and important issue of ACK has been eaten up by the fire. The founder, Mr. Anant Pai was devasted but soon they managed to come up with a solution. For some, this may seem like the end of any important dream but for Mr. Pai, this is nothing compared to his journey to becoming a master storyteller of India.

Born in Karkala, Karnataka, Anant Pai was a brilliant kid and was quite influenced by the Harikatha and Yakshgaan, a local way of Indian mythology’s storytelling. He loved to devour books based on mythology. Even though he loved reading these stories, he would also criticize some instances of the stories. He came to Mumbai to live with his relatives when he lost his parents.

Under the pressure of his family, Pai joined engineering, but he was not into it. Soon, he left his engineering job and joined Time of India. However, his time was brief in TOI. He also contributed a lot to start Indrajal Comics.

He once saw a quiz competition on TV where the students were well versed in Greek mythology but when the question from Indian mythology was asked, they were not sure. This left a huge impact on Mr. Pai and he decided that he should do something about this as the younger generation is not interested to familiarize themselves with Indian mythology.

He was also seeing that children are interested in foreign comics and superheroes. At this time, he decided to come up with a comic that can entertain the children and at the same time can educate them. However, the journey was not easy, no one was ready to believe in his idea. He decided to leave his job and focused all his power to make his dream come alive. Soon, he got a publishing house, which was ready to publish comics based on mythology.

After this, Mr. Pai did his best to create a team of the best illustrators, editors, and storytellers. Though there were many ups and downs, and he went through with various objections, ACK was a hit among kids and teenagers. With this, he also started Tinkle and Partha Magazine.

Writing style:

The author has interestingly written this book. The various chapters and quotes given in the book make it unputdownable.

My perception:

Growing up in 90’s I have got a chance to read ACK once or twice and it was amazing to just go back in those times and reminisce. Mr. Pai’s vision was way ahead of time and the way he introduced kids to Indian mythology is unique. Many renowned mythology authors of today agree that ACK was the reason they were attracted to Indian mythology. Mr. Pai was an educator in true self. This book gives a detailed glimpse of the iconic life and journey of Uncle Pai, who believed in himself and become a brand. His life is inspirational and everyone should learn something from his life.

A must-read book!

[readingfatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Should we stop using a tool as useful as a comic just because it can cause harm?'
-Anant Pai

'Uncle Pai' is the biography of the legendary man behind the popular children's comic book 'Amar Chitra Katha' written by Rajessh Iyer. "Uncle Pai" as he was unanimously referred to by his readers in letters and seminars was also the pioneer of many other children's comics and magazines of the 1970s and 80s like the Indrajal, Tinkle, PARTHA magazine and Rang Rekha syndicated strips. The story of one man who had the vision to cater Indian content to the children of India in the form of comic books when an idea of such sorts was lowly and outlandish.

The book outlines his entire life from a child, his education, career as a journalist in 'Times Of India', making of 'Indrajal Comics', his married life, giving birth to his dream project 'ACK', work life and his ethics, love for reading, storytelling, his other projects and the pruning of a revolutionary comic book era.

Before one should dive into this book one must know what was 'Amar Chitra Katha'(a simple Google Search could help) nevertheless I'll brief you about it. ACK comic magazine was based on famous stories taken from Hindu mythology, Indian history and heritage. I've never read any ACK comics, I belong to the 'Champak magazine' generation but now I'm intrigued to read them (the contents of the book were also honoured by UNESCO in those days).The book discusses in brief what are the contents of Tinkle, PARTHA etc
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The author has done a wonderful job by maintaining an equilibrium so the biography doesn't read like a glory story nor does it feel like tasteless banter. There is a lot to learn from the life of Pai especially his equation with his editors, employees, cartoonist, school authorities and IBA heads HG and GL Mirchandani who gave wings to his dream.

I loved the way interesting facts or incidents about Pai's life are displayed in Box Copy at the end of each chapter giving the book a magazine layout feel. The narrative style of the author is admirable, the book doesn't get boring at any point. I particularly admire this because most readers avoid reading biographies for it's tedious tone and it would have been a shame if the life of such a colourful mind was written insipid.

Recommended to everyone who wants to read about the great storyteller Anant Pai, ACK, Tinkle, life of comic artists of the 1970s-80s and anyone who wants to start reading auto/biographies.

[Aryan Sarath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids of 1980s and ’90s would easily remember who Uncle Pai was. He enjoyed the status of being called an “Iconic Legend” when it comes to the field of comics as he brought out some of the best comics through Indrajaal Comics and most importantly, the one behind the launch of “Amar Chitra Katha” and “Tinkle”.

I was one of the 80’s kids who had the honor and privilege to read these books all through my childhood and even during my teens as these had kept readers like me captivated for an infinite time.

When I saw the biography of such a legendary character, who sadly did not get the due recognition from any government to date, I did not give a second thought and grabbed the book immediately. The book showed the in and out of what this great man had to go through to set up the brands which enjoyed near-monopoly status when they were in circulation, in that category. The reviews given by some of the great personalities like Shri Devdutt Patnaik, Shri Anand Neelakantan, Actor Rana Daggubati, Dr. Subramaniam Swamy prove beyond any doubt how iconic, he was.

The book shows how Uncle Pai, as he is fondly called enjoyed rock-solid support from his better half – Mrs. Lalita Pai. Mr. Anant Pai (Uncle Pai) even went ahead and called her the “Rock of Gibraltar”.

Pai wasn’t a cartoonist/illustrator which is what many think, but as a reader and most importantly an excellent storyteller.

How was he inspired to become a storyteller?

Why he found it difficult to sustain at Indrajaal comics?

Which book motivated him in his early days?

Do you know Uncle Pai worked in Times for f India? 

His association with India Book House (IBH) & how it happened.

The birth of the name “Amar Chitra Katha” sends goosebumps even to a normal reader like me. Imagine the effect it would have had on Uncle Pai who framed it and his wife Lalita who was the first to hear it. 

Kalia the crow, Kapish the Monkey, Shikari Shambu, Ramu & Shamu, Little Raji & Inspector Vikram are some of the iconic characters which delighted the kids back then. It is high time that we all, the readers, come together and probably start an online petition to get the due recognition for this great man who dedicated his life and soul to bring out the best to us…….

[litwithneha ( Neha Modi ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I didn't read any of the Amar Chitra Katha books during my childhood but thankfully I have read a lot of ACK books with my son and I can now proudly say that I am a huge fan of those comics.

Amar Chitra Katha are an extremely popular, predominantly Indian mythological comics, which were founded by Mr. Anant Pai at the time when Indian literary world did not have dedicated comic books. These comics were extremely popular among children as well as adults during the late 70s and early 80s. They did see a dip in sales as competition started seeping in but yet ACK books are much loved and can be found in libraries and book stores even now.

It is fascinating to read the journey of such a loved piece of literature right from the conception of the idea to its growth. The book has been thoroughly researched with data collected from various sources including family, friends and colleagues with whom Uncle Pai worked very closely.

The efforts of the author in collating the raw information and arranging it into an interesting format encompassing Mr. Pai's professional and personal life is commendable. I specially loved reading the introductory anecdotes by the author from his personal life which brings out the true ACK fan in him.

The book enumerates minute details about the entire process right from deciding the name of the books to designing cover pages and illustrations to the quality control in terms of their content. The anecdotes relating to the ACK and Tinkle books are extremely interesting.

Though Uncle Pai is not among us but the legacy he created in the form of the Amar Chitra Katha comics and Tinkle has been a part of the childhood of many kids and continues to be even now.

[Zenab Hashmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get yourself out of a mental rut, give yourself new thoughts, new visions, new ambitions". Carnegie insisted on this mantra which Pai followed righteously.

This is the biography of our well known Uncle Pai aka Anant Pai -The Man Behind the iconic AMAR CHITRA KATHA, who had been a storyteller for three decades. The man who has been adored by hundreds of thousands of readers. The one who lives in the heart of our children and his stories sleep beneath their pillows with them. He is the one Who teaches us to never give up, make obstacles your opportunities and keep going. You need not comprise with your dreams and principles.

The book is very well narrated by RAJESSH M IYER. Every page is gracefully jotted down under separated subtitles which makes readers hooked throughout the story. His journey is indeed inspirational and the raw and realness of the book added the cherry on the cake.

As I am also from the Journalism and literature background, I could relate and get encouraged a lot from the biography. How Anant Pai left his engineering Career for his creative journey. He followed his soul by overlooking the world judgements and criticisms. How he faced rejections from the several publication houses still he fell but never failed. Then Formulating the ideas, creating a team and building ACK was never a smooth journey for him.


And at last, I want to say.

Thank you, Uncle Pai!

[Harshita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday I finished reading this amazing and wonderful book, UNCLE PAI by Rajessh M Iyre. This book is a biography of Shri Anant Pai, THE MAN BEHIND THE ICONIC "AMAR CHITRA KATHA". Well, by the time, I enteres the reading age, the AMAR CHITRA KATHA, was already an iconic comic book but however, I got my hands on a few book back then and later, "Tinkle digest" came into my life. 
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Being a fan of Amar Chitra Katha, this book touched me. This book showed so much about the life of Uncle pai that I was mesmerised. The book contains everything right from the inspiration to start the series to it's great success. Well, I won't go in much detail of the book and leave it to you guys, the readers of this book, to read and find out more about Uncle Pai.
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Talking about the book, it's excellently written. The narration is perfect and the background of Shri Anant Pai wmis very inspiring and wonderful at the same time. I think each and every fan of AMAR CHITRA KATHA must read this biography. Also if you are not a fan of AMAR CHITRA KATHA, read it and know about it.
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I would really like to thank the author for doing an exceptional work with this book. I never ever in my head thought that I could read biography of such a person. Thank you so much for showing Uncle Pai 's other side of story. I'm grateful that I have read it.
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Apart from everything, I loved the pictures which are attached in between the book. It gave a visual of my childhood to me. Very beautifully done. 

[Amrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review

‘Uncle Pai’ by Rajessh M Iyer is a biography of the reputed educationalist and comic creator, Anant Pai. Anant Pai is also known as ‘The Walt Disney Of India’ due to his generous contributions to the publishing and comic industry.

The author came across his book series ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ when he was just a child and it led great influence on him that he began exploring more. Also he has done a commendable work in putting Pai’s life episodes together in this book.

Uncle Pai wrote books mainly revolving around history, mythology and fiction. The attractive illustrations and catchy storyline made them famous amongst children. Not only in his career, but even in his personal life he was a considerate human being which can be seen in many instances written in this book.

Narration is fast paced, page length is 300 pages approx, and the story of Uncle Pai is not only inspiring but intriguing to read.

[Bookswithavinish · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Uncle pai" is the story of the man often referred to as " india's master storyteller " children growing up in the india of the 1970s , 1980s and the 1990s , had one common factor uniting them their lovely association with amar chitra katha.

Way back in february 1967 when anant pai was watching a quiz contest , aired on doordarshan ,he was completly shocked when he saw that school children are unable to answer a simple question related to ramayana , who was rama's mother ?
So he decided to make the rich and diverse cultural heritage of india popular . This book beautifully traces out the journey of anant pai to launch the comic book series amar chitra katha.

This biography is definately going to be a nostalgic treat for many of us. Anant pai's life is an inspiration for anyone who belives in their dreams and never give up making that dream a reality.

The book is beautifully written by the author. With simple usage of language and vocabulary . The book is completly a fascinating tale of a person who relentlessly gave every hour of his life for the simple yet important cause of telling the stories of india.

I like the way author has penned each and every incident related to anant pai 's life .

Overall i must recommend this book to all the lovely readers to give it a try for once . I am sure you all are going to love this book .

Must read❤❤

[Deepika Dongre ( Deepika Bandaru) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up purely out of curiosity about the comic magazine I absolutely loved reading in school - Tinkle, published by ACK. It was a part of many of my happy childhood memories and the reason I was drawn to reading books, later on.

The book however is too shallow for a biography. Knowing Uncle Pai's background and early struggles was inspiring. However, the parts about conflict are dealt in an impatiently brief and "but it's okay" manner. It irked me most that the author gave no merit to any argument against Uncle Pai and took a "the end justifies the means" approach. There are haphazard facts thrown about the comic book market shrinking, but no mention of how Uncle Pai/ Tinkle handled the changes.

3 stars is my biased rating due to how awesome Tinkle was. 2 stars otherwise.

[Sarmistha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracing the journey of Anant Pai from rebellious childhood till planing the imprint name, his promise to his life partner, the various encounters and circumstances that shaped him made me fall in love with the beautiful human being who revived the old art of storytelling.Well researched and well written, the book beautifully captures the essential events,the defeats and rejections, relentless efforts and finally success that shaped the lovely storyteller Anant Pai.His rational approach towards life and work is worth learning and incorporating in our lives.I enjoyed reading from the start to end.

[Shubham Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great man-but poor writing.

I have read many of Uncle Pai's comics, but his own biography appears to be crude and repetitive. The novel could have been very short.

Looks like the author has used AI to increase word count- they just add to rhetoric without any valuable insight. Uncle Pai would have written a much better autobiography.

The author has done half-hearted work.

Lost the human touch of narration.

[Tanu Goel Srivastava · Rating 1 out of 5]

In my humble opinion the book needs heavy editing and reprinting.

[Manoharan]

അമർ ചിത്രകഥയിലൂടെ പ്രശസ്തനായ ആനന്ദ് പൈ എന്ന അങ്കിൾ പൈയുടെ ജീവചരിത്രത്തിൻ്റെ മലയാള പരിഭാഷ '''പരിഭാഷകൻ: രാജേഷ് എം അയ്യർ' വളരെ മോശം വിവർത്തനം

[breadpitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

good soup, questionable ingredients.