The growing up years were largely spent devouring the Times of India. And the common man featured every day in it – at least as the small side cartoon under the title ‘You Said It’.
Are cartoons too an acquired taste like music? Perhaps everyone is (rather, used to be) attached to their childhood newspaper. Yet one thing that defined class for the TOI were R K Laxman’s sketches.
There is something in Laxman’s illustrations that makes it feel just right, no distortions coming out of the creator’s own artistic license – a lack of ego, if you will.
Or perhaps it is perfection; and he was the counterpart in cartoons to the Asha-Lata phenomenon in Bollywood. Colossal figures with reign of decades. One might listen to a Runa Laila or a Reshma song and feel like it was made for them, yet one could trust the sisters to do justice to just any song for any mood. Similarly, Laxman’s touch was what made it complete.
Was thinking of humorous politicians, and Lalu’s image popped up. That led to Laxman in a flash – Lalu with fodder growing out of his ears, his eyes closed and mouth stuffed. Then, out of nowhere rose the images Laxman had done long ago, where he played with non-human forms of our then-dear leaders. One was metamorphosis, the other was the one attached – a 1996 cartoon. Curiously, the theme is on ‘viral germs’.
:)