Daily Times

I have been wondering since my childhood what these ornamental trucks stand for. These trucks seems to be so enthralling to me though I don’t like gigantic buses, trucks but the pictures which are imprinted on these trucks always seems to be pleasuring. When I grew up I realized painting these trucks would categorically have some intention behind it. Well, as we know the truck art have gained the substantial recognition all around the world; even these now seem in Europe and in other western countries too.

Truck art is a cultural heritage of South Asia, a practise common in the subcontinent since 1940; the Sikh used to paint their gurus on their trucks and Muslims with the holy saints. At that time truck art is imprinted with these Gurus and saints. The basis for canvas and to ornate the trucks is, truck drivers remained far-flung from their families months and years so they had a special acquaintance with their trucks, they flamboyant them and decorating these trucks would take years. The truck art is known in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. By the time_ it put on eminence in South America and Japan and known to be as “Jingle Trucks “by Americans.

After Partition, in Pakistan, truck art emerged with new styles. As time went by, with gradual advancement, jingle trucks also revolutionised with their style. Truck drivers decorated their vehicles with bells, butterflies as well as folklore characters such as Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal

After Partition, in Pakistan, truck art emerged with new styles. As the time went by, with the gradual advancement, jingle trucks also revolutionised with their style. Truck drivers decorated their vehicles with bells, butterflies, heroes of folklore such as Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal. The truck art is not only restricted to these, by the time it contains the pictures of our celebrities like Boom, Boom Afridi. Truck art also contains the pictures of General Ayub Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Madam Noor Jahan, Bruce Lee, Lady Diana, Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto etc. It consists of the pictures of peacock, flora, birds, pots, calligraphy and more like that.

It turn out to be the lure for tourists they captivated by its enchanting exquisiteness and after that these also hold their place in the exhibitions to at hand the artistic values of our motherland, now known to be in the whole world.

Now come to the Kafeel Bhai, a well known truck artist, Kafeel Bhai Ghotki Walay. His signature line is “Kafeel Bhai Ghotki Walay” right arm left arm spin bowler the reason behind this signature line is he was an ardent lover of cricket. Kafeel Bhai painted the trucks; his only demand from the truck drivers are the payment of brushes and paints they used to ornate the trucks and only a single cup of tea from the tea stalls. Kafeel Bhai by the time lingering his signature line “Mashoor-e-zamana spin bowler, Kafeel Bhai ko salam” the signature line of Kafeel Bhai is one of the thing that emerge as more appealing to me. Kafeel Bhai got fame through French art magazine where his artistic expressions of truck appeared.

Truck art also consists of prose written all over the vehicle. You might have noticed that on trucks, verses of Waris Shah, Baba Bulleh Shah and many other poets is scribbled upon. Filmmaker Samar Minallah who is known to be a huge fan of truck art, has used the medium to spread awareness among people regarding education and early marriages. Many a times, one has noticed drawing of little girls on trucks holding books in their hands, with messages like, “Kum umar ki shadi kabil-e-saza jurm hai – Punjab Child Restraint (2015) Act”, “Ilm taqat hai” and “Ilm roshni hai”, etc. All these messages promote the rights of girls through truck art.

The writer is a student and can be reached at komalishtiaq97@gmail.com