Stop what you're doing and check out this artist's comic series on Gurmeet Ram Rahim

Controversial self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Dera Sacha Sauda founder, has been in the news recently for all the wrong things. Ram Rahim’s sentencing for 20 years and the aftermath of the conviction left the entire country shaken at the riots that followed. Chandigarh-based illustrator and graphic designer, Saksham Verma decided to summarize the flamboyant life of Ram Rahim with the help of a brilliantly spot-on comic series, ‘Love Charzer’. In case, you are wondering why is the comics called ‘Love Charzer’, it is named after Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s extremely popular song ‘Love Charger’ from his album Highway Love Charger, which later on also featured in his movie Messenger of God (MSG).

Coming back to Saksham Verma’s comic series, more than a satire on Gurmeet, it is a satire on society and his blind followers who helped fund his grand lifestyle and refused to speak up against his alleged crimes – be it land grabbing, murder or rape. InUth got in touch with Saksham and this is what he has to say about ‘Love Charzer’:

Q. Your drawings are really on point and simple. Where did you study/are studying graphic designing from?
Saksham: “I started drawing at a very young age as a hobby. I was always into illustrating my thoughts and ideas on paper. Although I got into Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology and got my bachelors in graphic design.”

Q. How did the idea of drawing a comic series on Guru Ram Rahim come to your mind?

S: “I am a resident of Chandigarh and the issue with Ram Rahim and Dera Sacha Sauda was already at large. I learned about Ram Rahim through his performances on his self produced music videos on YouTube. It was a topic of humour and cringe for most my friends and we all would have a good time discussing about it.

The miss-happening (sic) which followed his rape case started to get my attention towards his character and other activities he was involved… Initially I thought of making only one cover about him being an associate of the illuminati, but then I found more potential when I saw other cases that the conman had exercised on his followers.”

 

(Also read: This artist is shutting down taboo around menstruation one ‘Period Art’ at a time)

Images reproduced with permission from the artist. You can follow Saksham Verma on Facebook or on Behance