My Tribute to R. K. Laxman

Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Iyer Laxman (Laxman) perhaps is best known for his creation The Common Man. Laxman’s earliest work was for newspapers & magazines such as Swarajya and Blitz. Whilst still at the Maharaja’s College, Mysore, he began to illustrate his elder brother R K Narayan’s stories in The Hindu, and he drew political cartoons for the local newspapers and for the Swatantra.

When the American cartoonist Ranan Lurie asked him who the best Indian cartoonist was, Laxman flashed back, “I am.” The second, third, fourth, fifth best man on the job? Laxman continued to repeat, “I am.”

As you can expect The Common Man has spoken only once ever  in an early cartoon about Nehru. He tells Nehru even as he doesn’t recognize him, “…Don’t know all that Sir, but I’m voting for that man…!”, pointing to Nehru’s statue. Satire is clear as it Nehru- Gandhi debacle that led India into a dynastic nation and stripping away all the freedom struggle with few emotional decisions, for which we are still paying, anyways, moving on.

Common man has represented the mute millions of this country . What you’ll note in the boxes, there is no political comment, only political statement. Can you call this superficial? A Laxman cartoon essentially contains two elements. It is drama frozen at a tipping point with something before and something after it. He puts us on the spot.  The common man is helpless in his country, he chokes with frustrations and fury each moment. Laxman’s cartoons convert this rage into humour and a smile.

On being asked if he’s happy with the new government and he harrumphs: “I like all governments; they work for me. If there were no governments, there would be no cartoonists”. The Budget? “The Budget is a bore,” he snaps. “The papers, NDTV are still talking about it all the time. Remember Nani Palkhivala’s Budget analysis? Those were the days.” Laxman doesn’t spare any words when it comes to the media. “Things have undergone a sea change since my early days: packaging has become more important than content”.

Khushwant Singh once wrote in a column: “Both R K Narayan and Laxman conceal enormous self-esteem and inflated egos. I have to concede, though, that neither has anything to be modest about. Laxman is the pillar that sustains The Times of India. The day his cartoons stop appearing on its front pages, Indians who start their day with a smile will have nothing left to smile about.“

After graduation Laxman went to Delhi to find a job as cartoonist. The Hindustan Times told him he was too young, that he should start with provincial papers. The Free Press Journal in Bombay had no such qualms. Laxman found himself seated next to another cartoonist who was furiously drawing a bird in a cage. His name was Bal Thackeray. (“Is that an Indian name?” wondered Laxman who knew only of William Makepeace Thackeray.)

One day the Journal’s proprietor banned him from making fun of communists. So the twenty-three-year old Laxman left, caught a Victoria, and walked into the The Times of India office. From that day “I had a table and a room to myself which I have used ever since.” And used with a freedom unknown to any Indian journalist for as long. Laxman feels oppressed by having to turn out a cartoon everyday.

“Each morning I grumble, I plan to resign as I drag myself to the office. By the time I come home I like my work.”

Laxman plays with every shade of humour — wit, satire, irony, slapstick, buffoonery, tragicomedy. Such versatility dazzles as does his unwearied discipline. Through the long, prolific years the man from Mysore has never hit anyone below the belt. And that makes him India’s most beloved cartoonist… Creating the common man.

Here are few of my favorite strips and also, Thanks to Chittaranjan, you can use this link @ ToI for a date-wise archive of his cartoons. You’ll needs an Indiatimes ID though!

I heard him say that he was going to speak out boldly and reveal some very shocking matters shortly. I think he is retiring soon !

All Images are copyrighted by TOI and Penguin Publishings.