The son of a school teacher, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman, who rose to become India’s best known political cartoonist, was born in Mysore on October 24, 1921. He was one of the seven siblings that included his elder brother eminent novelist RK Narayan.

With a penchant for drawing since his school days, Laxman was engrossed by the illustrations in magazines such as Punch , Tit-Bits , Strand and Bystander and came under an early influence of world renowned British cartoonist Sir David Low.

A creative genius, Laxman was known to have started doodling even before he could read, using floors, walls and doors of his house.

His artistic bent of mind was appreciated by a school teacher who noticed a drawing by him on a peepal leaf. In his autobiography The Tunnel of Time , the legendary cartoonist recalls, “I drew objects that caught my eye outside the window of my room, the dry twigs, leaves and lizard-like creatures crawling about, the servant chopping firewood and of course, the number of crows in various postures on the rooftops of the buildings opposite?”

The crow was also a common figure in his cartoons later on. Overcoming the setback in the death of his father, the young Laxman completed high school education and sought admission to Mumbai’s JJ School of Arts. Ironically his application was rejected by the dean who remarked that his drawings “lacked the kind of talent required to qualify for enrolment in our institution as a student.”

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 Narada.

While at the Maharaja’s College of Mysore, Laxman started illustrating RK Narayan’s short stories in The Hindu . But his legendary spell on the Indian newspaper reader was cast after joining The Times Of India .

The comic strip You said it started in 1951, unleashed his iconic “common man,” a silent witness to the shenanigans of politicians who were supposed to realise his dreams, hopes and aspirations but betrayed him on most occasions.

A versatile artist, Laxman also wrote novels, Hotel Riviera and The Messenger, and contributed distinctive illustrations to many works including the Malgudi Days stories penned by his brother RK Narayan.

Among the honours bestowed on the cartoonist are Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Magsaysay award in 1984 for Journalism, Literature and creative communication arts. Laxman, married to author Kamala, later settled down at his Pune residence from where he continued his work.

A 16 ft. bronze statue of the ‘Common Man”, sculpted by Vivek Khatavkar, was unveiled in the premises of the Symbiosis Institute here on December 19, 2001 in the presence of its creator. In his autobiography, Laxman confessed to an unusual personal quirk, he never kept a diary, referred to a calendar, or wore a watch.

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. A television show, RK Laxman Ki Duniya , was based on Laxman’s cartoons.

Describing the beloved Common Man, 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.”

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