Six years ago on December 11, 2011, Goa woke up to the sad news that one of its
greatest son of the soil had passed away at the age of 85.
One of India’s best illustrators and
cartoonists, Mario de Miranda was recognized globally for his work and the
country had lost an icon. A few months later, he received a posthumous Padma
Vibhushan in 2012.
Earlier, Mario had been bestowed with
several honours, including the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan and the lifetime
achievement award from the All India Cartoonists’ Association.
Last year, on May 2, 2016, Google had
dedicated their special ‘doodle’ on his 90th birth anniversary, keeping with
its tradition of honouring noted personalities from across the globe.
Gerard da Cunha, an architect and longtime
friend of Miranda, had marked the occasion with the release of The Life of
Mario – 1949 (part of the series which includes ‘1950’ and ‘1951’).
This year, while his paintings and works
are being displayed again at Reis Magos Fort, a monument, he played a crucial
role in getting it restored, Goans talk about his rich legacy and how his
contributions, style of work and personality will never be forgotten.
“It’s been 6 years since Mario passed away
but his fame and following still grows. A few years ago his followers were
people in the 50 plus age group, but now we have many young people and
researchers who are discovering him. His art has great appeal and popularity
with all sections of society. I look forward to Mario taking his rightful place
among the great artists of this world,” said Gerard Da Cunha,
Another friend of Mario’s, cartoonist
Alexyz Fernandes, hailed his mentor and hero as Goa’s greatest and most popular
artist and went on to say that a pedestal deserves to be built for Mario at the
entrance of Kala Academy, Panjim in Mario’s honour. He further praised him as a
global icon.
“Mario is the greatest cartoonist that Goa had gifted planet
earth. His illustrations on Goa captured an era that we wish would always be,”
added Alexyz, who had even dedicated his book to Mario among others.
Mario was well known for his brilliant depiction of Goa and his
political satire and captured everyday moments and humorous encounters.
On that note, artist Maendra Alvares who has paid rich tributes
to the legend at Mario’s home village, Loutolim (Ancestral Goa), spoke about
the indelible mark Mario had left behind.
“Mario documented the intangible traditional heritage of Goa’s
past through his characteristic illustrations, highlighting the various details
that worked as creative excellence and social satire. He was such a prominent
social figure that amongst the many relevant facts Goa is known for, his name
is still synonymous with the best,” said Maendra.
Mario who has had exhibitions in various countries including the
US, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, France, Yugoslavia, and Portugal,
among others, is also featured in the famous video Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, which
included of India’s notable personalities from the field of arts, cinema,
literature, music, and sports etc.
Even today, in the day and age of social media, Mario’s
illustrations continue to have a strong impact.
“Mario Miranda’s work is everywhere. With his illustrations
having presence all across the world, people continue to share his work on
social media. I also love the content shared by the staff at Mario’s Gallery,
since I follow their Instagram page @world_of_mario, I get a dose of my
favorite art almost everyday. Social Media platforms like Instagram and
Facebook help many more people to get to know about Mario Miranda and check out
his work,” said Viresh Vazirani, digital entrepreneur.
For
Goans, the late Mario will always be a source of pride, a source of inspiration
and a name that is still synonymous with the Goan way of life.
