Cartoonist RK Laxman, Creator Of 'Common Man', Passes Away

According to the doctors, he had been bed-ridden for many months, needed caregiver support for his routine activities and suffered from diabetes, hypertension and diabetic nephropathy.

He was under close observation of team of intensivists in Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital's ICU for the last nine days. There were ups and downs in his condition, but it started deteriorating since last evening, and he suffered a cardiac arrest this evening.

The funeral would be conducted tomorrow morning, Srinivas told. Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman, son of a school teacher, rose to become India's best known political cartoonist while his ubiquitous 'common man' became an icon in himself.

 As the news of his demise broke, his admirers were seen making a beeline at the the statue of 'Common Man' in Worli in Mumbai.

Born in Mysore on October 24, 1921, Laxman was one of the seven siblings, including elder brother and eminent novelist, the late R K Narayan.

Ironically enough, the young Laxman had to face rejection from the Mumbai's J J School of Arts when he applied there for admission, and subsequently graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from University of Mysore even as he continued with freelancing and contributed cartoons to Blitz, Swarajya.

While at college, Laxman started illustrating R K Narayan's short stories in The Hindu and drawing political cartoons for local newspapers.

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