R K Laxman lives his dream, passion

Madikeri (Karnataka), Oct 13: R K Laxman, a name synonymous with cartoons in the country, had always wanted to be a professional cartoonist.

The celebrated cartoonist, who was in town along with his wife Kamala on a holiday, told sources that he was extremely content with his profession. He began to draw at the age of 10 and contributed pictures for his novelist brother R K Narayan's stories, published in newspapers and magazines then.

Recipient of many an award, including the coveted Magsaysay and Padma Bhushan, he proudly said he was a self-made cartoonist, neither going to any art school nor was he inspired by anyone. He drew inspiration from the day to day life of a common man and projected it through his master strokes, he added.

His cartoons, as seen through the eyes of Common Man, in the 'Times of India' newspaper, with which he had been associated for 54 years, was a huge hit.

Dismissing the notion that inking a cartoon was an easy task, Mr Laxman said he took minimum six hours to draw a cartoon after giving it a serious thought.

Reminiscing about his works, he said lots of them created controversies and one even dragged him to court. He was sued by a section of society for a cartoon, showing men burning buses and cars, and a boy burning a scooter, while the elders ask him, 'what kind of a Ram Bhakta are you? You are burning a scooter, which is so small.' However, the court acquitted him.

About the picturesque hilly Kodagu district, the cartoonist described it as a beautiful place. However, he could not enjoy the stay this time due to continuous rainfall and bad condition of roads. ''I like Kodagu as it was before,'' he added.

His wife Kamala was a noted children's story writer and her stories on Tenali Rama were made into a series and broadcasted on Doordarshan.

UNI