RK Laxman 99th Birth Anniversary: Know Interesting Facts About the Indian Cartoonist, the Face of ‘Common Man’ in India

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman who was popular as R K Laxman was born on October 24, 1921, in Mysore. He was Indian cartoonist best known for the creation of 'Common Man' that captured millions of hearts. He was an illustrator and humourist. He started his daily cartoon strip 'You Said It' in The Times of India which started in 1951. He passed away on January 26, in the year 2015, in Pune. On RK Laxman's 99th birth anniversary, we bring to you some facts about him. Remembering RK Laxman Who Turned 'The Common Man' Into Extraordinary Work of Art.

His illustration of the common man has garnered him a lot of fans. It made people believe that even the simplest of things can make a difference. He taught us a lot of lessons with his simple representation of his thoughts. On RK Laxman's birth anniversary, here are some interesting facts about his life to remember the popular illustrator.

• He was the brother of the late, R. K. Narayan, the creator of Malgudi days.
• Illustrations which appear in the TV adaptation of RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days were drawn by R. K. Laxman.
• The boy in the Asian Paints logo, Gattu was created by RK Laxman.
• RK Laxman became the first cartoonist to exhibit in London.
• A bronze statue of the "'common man" has been put up at Symbiosis Institute in Pune. Also, a chair at Symbiosis International University has been named after RK Laxman.
• He was rejected by J J College of Arts in Mumbai and was later invited there as a chief guest.

In his autobiography, The Tunnel of Time, Laxman is quoted as saying, "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, and number of crows in various postures on the rooftops of the buildings opposite" Fans of the 'Common Man's waited everyday morning to see what new thing the man in a jacket, dhoti and Gandhi glasses had to say about life, politics and things in general.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2020 08:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).