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India’s iconic cartoonist RK Laxman departs at 94

2003090400360201MumbaI: The genius chronicler of India’s life and political history, who unfailingly brought millions of readers the gift of a chuckle every day, is no more.


Born in 1921 in Mysore, Laxman had no formal training in cartooning but the work he put out over decades was sheer genius. He began by drawing for local papers, and illustrating the stories of his famous elder brother, novelist R K Narayan, while still at college.

Laxman is a recipient of numerous awards. Among them are the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Magsaysay Award. His Common Man, created in 1957, was the symbol of India’s ordinary people, their trials and tribulations, their little joys and sorrows, and the mess they found themselves in thanks to the political class and bureaucracy.

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