Journeys in a Jiffy
SIMPLY CHENNAI gives you a list of short getaways close to home that never go out of style.
She was just in school when her cartoons started appearing in national dailies like The Indian Express and The Statesman. It’s no wonder then that immediately after graduating from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University in 1994, Tina Rajan decided to launch her own company, which today dabbles in various creative forms, including cartoons, caricatures, graphic designs and book covers. “The idea of setting up my own company came to me when I put up an exhibition at my college by the name Tinatoons,” says Rajan. “My work was appreciated, and I decided to continue working under that name. It’s been 20 years since”. It’s hard to think of other women cartoonists like Rajan, who have willingly thrown themselves I have consciously tried to neutralise the gender bias by letting my work speak for itself. into such an inherently male-dominated profession and not only succeeded in it, but demanded improvisations. “There is a sexist attitude in this profession, and I have consciously tried to neutralise the gender bias by letting my work speak for itself. Don’t let the thought of you being a woman hold you back from doing something you love. As long as you maintain that neutrality in your mind, you will find success,” says Rajan. She considers her doodles in the book How Cheeka Became a Star and Other Dog Stories to be her best work. She admits there are very few women who are ready to take a risk and jump into a profession that offers almost no financial security in the beginning. “It is a little gradual, but my family always supported me,” she concludes.