Yusuf Lien also known as Yusuf Bangalorewala is an Indian book illustrator best known for his work on the

Amar Chitra Katha Amar Chitra Katha (ACK Comics) is an Indian comic book publisher, based in Mumbai, India. The company was founded in 1967 by Anant Pai. Most of its comics are based on religious legends and epics, historical figures and biographies, folktale ...

comic book series, which deals with subjects from Indian myth, legend, and history. His dream-like sensual work on the titles ''Tansen'' and ''Mirabai'' is admired by many who believe he had one of the most distinctive styles among the Amar Chitra Katha artists. According to researcher John Stratton Hawley, the Amar Chitra Katha staff took a 'nonsectarian pride' that the exquisite depictions of

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

in ''Mirabai'' were the work of a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

artist, who as his editor

Anant Pai Anant Pai (17 September 1929 – 24 February 2011), popularly known as Uncle Pai, was an Indian educationalist and a pioneer in Indian comics. He is most famous as the creator of two comic book series viz. ''Amar Chitra Katha'', which reto ...

described it, would be in tears as he drew his frames for the comic book. Yusuf also painted the image of the child Krishna seen on the cover of the comic book of the same name. Yusuf eventually gave up drawing comics, considering the work '

haraam ''Haram'' (; ) is an Arabic term meaning 'taboo'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowledge; or, in direct cont ...

' and took up

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

. He later told Nandini Chandra, author of ''The Classic Popular: Amar Chitra Katha, 1967-2007'' that he found the series' depictions of Muslims problematic.

References

Indian calligraphers Indian illustrators Indian children's book illustrators Indian comics artists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{India-artist-stub