This man made us laugh for nearly seventy years! Today, he’s made us cry!
We looked for his daily cartoons before the headlines, before the sports page and before the comic strips.
Growing up, his cartoons were water cooler conversation in offices, colleges and even schools. He made sure that the common man had at least the last laugh, if not a full stomach or a warm bed.
Further, he inspired me to chronicle my teen angst as cartoons, with my dad as the main character. I once showed these to my father and he was not amused. They were too close to be funny. I never lost my interest in cartooning however, and I became art editor of my college magazine with cartoon illustrations to my credit. I still cartoon for private pleasure.
Two nights ago, this magnificent little ‘common man’, our very own RK Laxman, went on his final journey to the land of eternal cartoons.
He was 93 and ailing. He’s left us his bagful of cartoons, a sharp sense of the ridiculous and a keen ability to cut through the pompous bullshit that is dished out in the name of patriotism, progress and popular demand.
There is a universality to his wit and a timelessness, too. Look at the cartoons today and while the faces may have changed, the issues haven’t and the problems, sadly, are still the same.
Even Laxman’s 1958 cartoon about the Delhi Municipal elections has a current ring to it.
Rajiv Gandhi and his ‘feathers in the cap’ cartoon can just as easily be any leader today!
Indira Gandhi’s ‘clean sweep’ cartoon can apply to Modi or even Kejriwal. Probably, especially to the latter, given his election symbol of a ‘Jhadoo’!
Not surprisingly, he loved crows.
The commonest of all birds, rude, ugly and utterly unmusical. He enjoyed watching them, drew them and celebrated them with the same keen powers of observation that he used to chronicle the state of the nation.
“My work gives me great joy and hope. And I do my crows, I read books, creative work.”
RK Laxman in an interview to IBN Live
His cutting visual commentary on Indian politics ran undisturbed for more than 60 years, from 1947, when he joined the Times of India till 2010 when finally ill health forced him to stop cartooning for a daily newspaper. (Before that he was with Free Press Journal in Mumbai.) He continued drawing however.
Laughter was his weapon, his song and his lament.
He used it as a master musician uses his finely tuned instrument to stir listeners’ hearts. Swift, bold strokes etched the latest caper of politicians and bureaucrats, laid bare for the public to see and take note of. He gave us some measure of power over the buffoons we had elected and who now risen, acted against our best interests. Definitely, the most unkindest cut of all. But the laughter he gave us cut down our leaders to size and brought them down, their foibles exposed and their commonness revealed.
We can’t forget you, Laxman.
“As long we laugh, this nation will have a tear in its eye for you, the greatest of our modern jesters.”
To borrow and adapt from a great poet’s armoury (and to use it completely out of context): “So long as men can breathe and eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee.”
Caw, caw to you, dear friend.
asha chaudhry
what a lovely tribute kaanchan. so well captured. i also remember growing up checking out You Said It first thing as soon as i could get my hands on the newspaper!
i think, rk laxman taught us the art of satire.
there will never be one like him…
Amit Shroff
Nice Article Kaanchan, he has inspired many like you…. May his holy soul rest in peace…!!!
kaanchan bugga
Thank you, Asha! Kind words indeed. His work moved each one of us and spoke to us as no other humorist could. God grant him more power, wherever he may be!
kaanchan bugga
Thank you Amit! He was such a genius, difficult to match his talent! 🙂
Darshan Bhambiru
So Nice to see this here Kaanchan, had seen it on Linkedin earlier as well and was wishing it would be here and here it IS!
I used to cut and collect all daily Cartoon strips from the TOI newspaper when I was still trying to draw my stick figures and never used to miss them anyday for that matter made a kind of a collection Book of all those stuck in order in one.
HE Was definitely the Sole man in those days, of a few Words conveyed only by his use of Powerful and simple Pictures as cartoons to do the impact happening in our daily life and so beautifully to make it imprinted on our Minds for so many years now to say that we won’t be able to find anyone who would replace him anytime in totality.
May his Soul Rest In Peace!
kaanchan bugga
Thanks Darshan… your wish is our command! 🙂 Yeah, RK Laxman was such a genius and we really have lost an amazing talent.
Aninda Manna
a great tribute kaanchan … and yes asha .. he taught us satire through cartoons … let us delight in the fact that he lived a full life … and enriched the world of cartoons while teaching us so much … even when we were too young to understand political arguments and doctrines ….
kaanchan bugga
Thanks Aninda! He was so much one of us, yet an observer and quick to catch all the hypocritical behaviour and the insincere interaction between the politicians.
Aninda Manna
very true kaanchan … he opened our unseasoned and youthful eyes … a snap of the mockery the nation has been facing for decades …
Sunil Suri
Hi Kaanchan,
I love his cartoons and use it as a reference, he showed the reality through his character of a common man.Simplicity in his cartoons proves his mettle.
Very well written.
~Sunil Suri
kaanchan bugga
Hey, thank you Sunil. Glad you enjoyed it… always great sharing memories with another RK Laxman fan! 🙂
asha chaudhry
hey sunil,
aren’t u a cartoonist yourself?
after the OH in the networking session let’s pls talk?
Sunil Suri
Hi Asha,
Yeah I doodle a lot and my daughter too. She has her facebook page too https://www.facebook.com/uncletichkoo.
Sure, we will have a discussion.
Thanks & Regards
Sunil Suri