There was a time when cartooning never used to be considered an art but just a way of doodling, a hobby. All this has changed now since cartoons, through their way of expression are being considered as part of the creative process!!!
A man, who has contributed the most towards this form in India, is the famous cartoonist & illustrator
R K Laxman (B: 1924) His interpretation of
'the common man' is one that probably every Indian will know of & identify with.
Born in Mysore, he is the brother of the famous English Language novelist, R.K.Narayan whose books featured a number of his works. From a very young age, Laxman was engrossed in illustrations by foreign magazines, particularly cartoons by the British Cartoonist Sir David Low & took to drawing figures all over his house. The encouragement he received was immense & he began to consider himself an artist from a very young age itself.
In order to pursue a career in painting, he tried enrolling at the Sir JJ School of arts, Mumbai but was refused entry saying that he lacked the talent required!!! He thus continued with his freelance work contributing to newspapers & magazines like Swarajya & Blitz. Gradually he began to illustrate for his brother’s stories in the Hindu & focused more on political cartoons which became his forte. In this capacity, he worked for the Times of India, a large publication group in a career spanning more than 50 years.
In addition to publications, Laxman is also known for his illustrations in several books, most notably the
Malgudi stories written by his brother R.K.Narayan. This book was even made into an Indian tele-serial featuring his work which was a major hit at the time.
Currently, we are seeing a lot of encouragement given to this creative art form & the credit for this goes solely to artists like R.K Laxman who are majorly responsible for this trend!!!
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