Former bureaucrat BP Acharya’s book ‘Obtuse Angle’ captures life with wit and humour

Acharya's recently released book ‘Obtuse Angle: A bureaucrat’s Journey Through Cartoons’ is a collection of 150 black-and-white cartoons that captured the life’s essence in a lighthearted and entertaining way

Hyderabad: Many know BP Acharya as a civil servant who, throughout his decades-long career, held numerous top positions and spearheaded several impactful initiatives in the undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. After retirement, Acharya continues to hold his place in bureaucratic circles, overseeing various projects across the nation.

However, there’s another side to Acharya’s persona – the one he calls his ‘Obtuse Angle’, showcasing his sharp wit and humour as a cartoonist.

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Governor Jishnu Dev Varma recently released Acharya’s book ‘Obtuse Angle: A bureaucrat’s Journey Through Cartoons’, which is a collection of 150 black-and-white cartoons that captured the life’s essence in a lighthearted and entertaining way. The book will also be launched at the Hyderabad Literary Week 2025 to be held from January 24.

The book humorously captures the dilemmas faced by newly inducted bureaucrats, the everyday interactions of civil servants with the public, colleagues, and political leaders, as well as the challenges posed by the country’s economic and political landscape.

Cartooning has been a passion for Acharya since his childhood. He nurtured this creativity throughout his student years and even during his demanding career as an administrator.

“We often look at things from an acute angle, which is with a critical perspective,” says Acharya. “But in every event, there’s also a funny angle that a cartoonist seeks to find,” he says, adding that he decided to compile his cartoons into a book after receiving an overwhelming response to his 2017 display.

His ability to find humour in the mundane and the serious, much like his inspirations RK Laxman and Mario Miranda, revealed an understanding of human nature and a creative way to comment on societal issues.

Even after superannuation, Acharya continues to contribute to the field of cartooning. His plans for a colour cartoon book and a poetry compilation indicate that he’s not slowing down anytime soon!