The most influential cartoonist we lost this year on 26th January, R.K. Laxman’s 94th anniversary is today. Born on 24th October, 1921, Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. The man behind The Common Man and his daily cartoon strip, “You Said It” for The Times of India, always aimed at bringing the true story behind every political move in the country. The common man represented the hopes, dreams, troubles, doubts and aspirations of an average Indian man.
According to anthropologist Ritu Gairola Khanduri, “Clad in a dhoti and a plaid jacket, the puzzled Common Man is no dupe: his sharp observations miss no detail of the political circus.”
Shri R.K. Laxman knows as “Pied Piper of Delhi” always wanted to be an artist. He began from painting, doodling, and drawing on the walls to graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mysore.
He was honoured with many accolades including, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. His cartoons have been a part of our lives for more than 50 decades. Here is a compilation of his best cartoons.
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RIP!
