India, July 29 -- "What started as a fun activity went on to become my identity," said S D Phadnis about his career as a cartoonist, ahead of his 100th birthday on Tuesday. "However, as I kept working, I realised the power of political cartooning, which becomes the language of democracy. And when you draw cartoons for other subjects such as mathematics, science or banking, they turn into a language of knowledge."

Shivram Dattatreya Phadnis, popularly known as 'Shi da', who was born on July 29, 1925, in Bhoj village, Belgaum district, is regarded a stalwart in the state, celebrated especially for work that graced the cover of many popular magazines. His work published sans captions often in the Diwali Ank, 'Mohini' known for its literary ...