The Common Man creator RK Laxman had a special place in every common Indians heart.
(Image courtesy - dogranavneet.blogspot.in)
- Born in Mysore on October 24, 1921, the cartoonist started young as he illustrated his elder brother's, RK Narayan, stories in The Hindu newspaper. He was under an early influence of world renowned British cartoonist Sir David Low. He drew a lot of crows when he was little. The crow was also a common figure in his cartoons later on.
- RK Laxman was the inspiration behind RK Narayan's stories Dodu the money maker and The Regal Cricket Club.
- Mumbai's prestigeous JJ School of Art had denied him admission saying he lacked the kind of talent to qualify. Laxman subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from University of Mysore even as he continued with freelancing and contributed cartoons to " Blitz", " Swarajya" and an animated film based on the mythological character of "Narada".
- His first full-time job as political cartoonist was with The Free Press Journal where Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackray was his collegue.
- He created The Common Man, where the witty, sarcastic but never venomous cartoon commented on the plight and chaos of lives of countless average Indians
(Image courtesy - dogranavneet.blogspot.in)
- He created Asian Paints mascot 'Gattu'
- In 1985, Laxman became the first Indian cartoonist to exhibit in London, where he also had the opportunity to meet the idols of his childhood, David Low and Illingworth.
- Illustrations that appear in the TV adaptation of RK Narayan's Malgudi Days were drawn by Laxman
- Among the honours bestowed on the cartoonist are BD Goenka award-Indian Express, Durga Ratan Gold medal - Hindustan Times, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Magsaysay award in 1984 for Journalism, Literature and creative communication arts.
- Television show, RK Laxman Ki Duniya, was based on Laxman's cartoons.
Laxman had said in an interview: "My common man is omnipresent. His simple dhoti and checked coat could be anybody's. His bald head could belong anywhere... his dhoti could be the Malayali mundu too. He's been silent all these 50 years. He simply listens."
