If there was one man who made it on the front page of the most esteemed newspaper every day for more than 60 years, it was the one and only R K Laxman. He occupied the prime real estate of the front page with his big political cartoons and a small pocket cartoon titled “You Said It”.
Though everything has changed over the last six decades, only the quality and honesty of his cartoons remain as they were. Each day his work appeared so utterly original and responsive to the state of affairs of the country.
R K Laxman started sketching ever since he could remember. He endlessly produced caricatures of his teachers in school (seeking for revenge in his own way against their eccentricities), sketched marketplaces, crows, and life in general. He pursued his education and got a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mysore. He says that he could have been just anybody – a doctor, an engineer, a circus clown; but somehow cartooning entered his life. He gazed at cartoons in the magazines that his father subscribed from England, and followed those moments of initial wonderment and inspiration to become a professional cartoonist.
He has gone on record to say that he had not planned anything in life, and the entire legacy that he has left behind just happened to him. What an unusual journey of life in an era where everybody is so goal oriented! But life works in its own mysterious ways, sometimes contradictory to the conventional ways of thinking, and the lives of people like Laxman are its testimonies.
It is mind boggling to see how R K Laxman possessed many great qualities, apart from his excellent drawing skills, which put him beyond competition and ratings. To start with, he had a very dignified and subtle sense of humour, and he exercised controlled distortion in his cartoons. They were sensitive and their aroma lingered for ages. His style of writing and mastery over language is another important attribute. He tamed and Indianised English to use it in his cartoons even when he portrayed villages, beggars, street scenes, and politics. And most importantly, he had a razor sharp intelligence with which he analysed a situation, contemplated its relevance, and finally converted a miserable piece of reality into a humorous sketch.
R K Laxman led a full life, travelled to almost all corners of the world, received the greatest honours including the Padma Vibhushan, and had friends who were the country’s elite. His wife, Kamala, was his constant support. His family and friends stood by him when he had a stroke which confined him to a wheelchair. Those must have been the most difficult days, but he still managed to sketch, and the people who met him then say that he was mentally as alert as he was before.
Sadly, R. K. Laxman, the legend, breathed his last on 26th January, 2015. Though he was a mortal, his works are immortal and timeless. They have been cherished by people throughout the world, irrespective of age, gender or nationality, and will be cherished by the generations to come.
This testimonial tribute and the caricature is by one of our team member, Nachiket Vinaya, who was mesmerised by R K Laxman since his childhood days. Click here to explore Nachiket’s work.
Not many know that R K Laxman started his cartooning as student with the Kannada humor monthly magazine Koravanji, which co-incidentally saw light of day on Ugadi, 74 years ago, and shut down 25 years later, in 1967. Wishing you a happy and prosperous Ugadi or Gudi Padwa! May this Ugadi bring joy, health and wealth to you!