Lalu from Cartoon to Animation Character

PATNA Jan 5: After having dolls, firecrackers, colours and even toffee named after him, railway minister Lalu Prasad will feature in an animation film by
a cartoonist from Bihar.

Pawan Kumar who has made sketches on child rights for UNICEF and has published over 7,000 cartoons in almost all national dailies, which were brought out from here, planned to make 16 animated film clips of two minutes duration each.

The films would depict childhood and student days of Lalu Prasad, his buffalo rides, skipping school, joining student politics and the JP movement, and his political rise thereafter, Kumar said.

"I am confident that the character will surpass all cartoon characters in the world," he claimed.

Pawan is being assisted by his childhood friend Shashi who has given his voice for the animated Lalu. The background score has been provided by Ratnesh and Gopala from the Animation Academy at Hyderabad.

Gopala has resigned from the academy and is working overtime with Pawan, Shashi and Ratnesh to complete the film.

If Pawan is to be believed, the animation film has the consent of the railway minister. "When I showed him the clips Laluji was very happy and asked me to complete the film as fast as possible."

Pawan, however, said he needed financial help so that he could use better technology and software for making the animation film.