'Common Man' is here

He gave us The Common Man. With wit married to humour and a tinge of satire, R K Laxman’s doodles are as captive as his cartoons.

Cartoonists and enthusiasts in the City had the opportunity of seeing as many as 97 of Laxman’s doodles here on Saturday.

Doodu’s Doodles, an exhibition of Laxman’s doodles drawn over a period of 16 years, was on display at the Indian Institute of Cartoonists.

Laxman was gifted a scrapbook by his brother R K Srinivasan, in 1975. From then on, till his brother expired in 1991, Laxman had been doodling in the scrapbook gifted by his brother.

The 97 sketches displayed in the City on Saturday, is a result of those 16 years of doodling, explained R S Krishnaswamy, nephew of the cartoonist.

Inaugurating the exhibition, author Girish Karnad recalled the time he spent with Laxman.

Former chief justice of India Justice M N Venkatachalaiah spoke about the power that cartoonists hold in society.

Drawing parallel to David Low, a cartoonist from New Zealand who created a storm in his times by sketching satires of personalities and policies of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin and other leaders, he felt that cartoons play a major role in reflecting one’s times. The exhibition will be on till March 10.