S. M. Pandit

Who is S. M. Pandit?

Dr. S. M. Pandit was one of the foremost painters of his time, especially in the school of classical realism. Most of his subjects were inspired by classical Indian literature. He brought a rare blend of artistic skill and sensitivity to his portrayal of romantic characters like Radha-Krishna, Nala-Damayanti, Viswamitra-Menaka etc. In addition to his critically acclaimed masterpieces he also illustrated many popular film posters, film magazines like Film India and various other publications in what can collectively be termed as calendar art. Needless to say, his works remain hugely popular even today.

Brief life history : Born on March 25th, 1916, in Gulbarga district of Karnataka state, Pandit became a student of Shankar Rao Alandkar. Subsequently he took his diploma from the Madras School of Art and joined the Sir J. J. School of Art. He was also a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Royal Academy in London. Pandit, who was a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, was conferred the State Lalit Kala Academy Award in 1983, and in 1984 was given the Rajyotsava Award.

He was mainly known for mythological paintings and calendar art. He has been widely celebrated in the Indian Calendar industry for his realistic depiction of themes from Hindu Mythology. In these paintings he emphasised the physical forms of the heroes, heroines, gods and goddesses in marked contrast to classical styles of Indian painting, depicting them as handsome, valorous men and beautiful, voluptuous women set in surroundings suggestive of Cinema settings and sceneries.