Anil Karanjai - The Revolutionary 1960s

The Revolutionary 1960s

Throughout the revolutionary 1960s, Anil was at the forefront of the Indian and international politico-cultural movement. In 1962, with Karunanidhan Mukhopadhyay, he co-founded United Artists. Their studio, named Devil’s Workshop, attracted artists, writers, poets and musicians from across India and abroad. The group established the first art gallery of Benaras in a rundown teashop, Paradise Cafe, frequented by some of this vibrant city’s most colourful characters. Anil and others of the group also at this time lived in a commune and exchanged ideas and experiences with "seekers" from many countries.

Anil Karanjai was a very active member of the renowned Bengali radical group, Hungry Generation, otherwise known as the Hungryalism হাংরি আন্দোলন movement, composed in the main of writers and poets; Anil and Karunanidhan were the chief Hungryalism artists. Anil was associated with the Beat Generation when Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky interacted with the Hungryalists during their sojourn in India. The Hungryalists were based in Patna, Calcutta and Benaras and they also forged important contacts with the avant garde in Nepal. Anil created numerous drawings for Hungryalist publications. He also contributed posters and poems. And he was a founder of the little magazine movement in India. In 1969, he moved to New Delhi where he organised and participated in a Little Magazine Exhibition at Delhi Shilpi Chakra.