[icernet] Profile: R K Laxman, the uncommon creator of the omnipresent Common Man

[Arul Selvan]

  R. K. Laxman, the famous Indian cartoonist, the man credited with 
elevating the post of the common man in India.

Profile:

Laxman became the political cartoonist for The Times of India, despite 
having no formal training in fine arts. He managed to develop his 
cartooning to such a fine art that has undoubtedly made him one of the 
most popular cartoonists in India.

His interest in cartooning began at a very young age and even as a 
student he managed to establish a market for his freelance work among 
many journals and periodicals. After graduation, he joined the Free 
Press Journal in Mumbai as its political cartoonist. A few months later, 
he left it to join The Times of India. Since then he has been its 
political cartoonist, for the last 50 years.

Nine volumes of his pocket cartoons as well as a book, The Eloquent 
Brush containing a selection of political cartoons from the Nehru era to 
Rajiv Gandhi have been brought out. Books of his drawings of his travels 
in Madhya Pradesh and Kolkata have also been published. He has to his 
credit a novel called Hotel Riviera and a collection of short stories 
and travelogue called the Idle Hours. Another book, The Messenger, has 
been published by the Penguins, recently.

Despite being a severe critic of the establishment, he was still 
conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government. The 
University of Marathwada conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of 
Literature on him and many other awards, including the Magsaysay award, 
revered as the Asian Nobel prize.

Besides writing novels, short stories, he has also conceived and 
directed a film called Wagle’s World, based on the life of the Common 
Man for national television. He has also published his autobiography, 
The Tunnel of Time, and a selection of 50 years of political cartoons.

Source:
Times of Oman
25/02/2003