Rasipuram
Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman would have turned 98 today but before leaving this
world on January 26, 2015 at the age of 93, he did enough to ensure that he
will always be alive in the hearts of millions of people across the globe. His
depiction of The Common Man was perfect in the most literal sense. It is hard
to believe that someone as gifted as R.K. Laxman failed to get admission in
Bombay's J.J. School of Art. While rejecting his application, its Dean told him
that his drawings are not good enough to make him a part of this prestigious
school. Such a pity!
This was his only
dream that failed to convert into reality. After working for newspapers and
magazines of little repute, his first full-time job was for the Free Press
Journal, Mumbai as a political cartoonist. Since then, he never looked back.
After joining The Times of India, his popularity transcended the boundaries of
India. For more than five decades, he was an indispensable part of The Times of
India.
While working for
The Times of India, in 1951, through his daily comic strip, You Said It, he
created his most famous and acclaimed cartoon character, The Common Man.
Through his cartoons, Laxman was able to beautifully represent the miseries,
fears and hopes of the common people of India. How he managed to express
everything through his cartoons is something that we mortals won't ever be able
to answer.