The R.K Duo

The elder brother writes and the younger brother draws. They are Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan and Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman. R.K. Narayan was a great Indo-Anglican writer who wrote a number of novels and short stories which deal with the man of middle class. R.K. Laxman's cartoons deal with the problems of common man. His pocket cartoon of common man and his problems appeared on the first page of Times India for about six decades without fail. Margayya in the Financial Expert starts his life as a document writer under the shade of a tree in the court premises. He reaches the high point in investments, loses every thing and decides to follow his old profession. In Mr. Sampath, the central character Srinivas tries his luck as a founder editor of a local magazine. He comes into contact with Mr. Sampath, a printer and they together try their luck at film production, with Srinivas as the script writer. Some romantic episodes are woven around Srinivas and Sampth. Ultimately the film production flops and both of them return to their original point. His novel Dark Room was appreciated by Somerset Maugham. He has many other good novels like Guide, Bachelor of Arts, The English Teacher and collection of short stories like A Horse and Two Goats. Among his novels Waiting for the Mahatma and The Man Eater of Malgudi need special mention as they meet all the parameters for fiction of high standard set by the literary critics. All his novels and stories are set in the pre independence era and the reader often comes across English and Anglo Indian characters in his fiction. All his novels and short stories are set in the backdrop of the fictitious town Malgudi. The readers of R.K. Narayan's fiction are familiar with the Market street, Bombay Ananda Bhavan, Albert Mission High School and Palace Talkies. River Sarayu is another important location of Malgudi. Mahatma Gandhi holds his meetings on the banks of this river. The protagonist of Guide Raju also observes his fast on the banks of Sarayu. On the other side of the river is Mempi forest where tigers, deers and water buffaloes live in peaceful coexistence.

R.K. Laxman gets all the credit for his line drawings of Malgudi town and the cover page drawings of his illustrious brother's books. His pocket cartoons on the first page of Times Of India under the caption you said it are very popular till he stopped associating with the paper due to his extreme old age. Among his cartoons, the writer of slogans who is a contented person as long as there are clashes and violence which demand placards of slogans, the political leader's call to the people to be prepared to sacrifice all they have, when they have only a loin cloth round their waist and the managing director's speech at the meeting of the board of directors, 'no man can fool all the people all the time but, we have achieved a break through in it.' are most memorable. There was anecdote which reveals that he is an Indian to the core. Once young Laxman secured an interview with Bertrand Russell, the great philosopher and a crusader against the proliferation of nuclear arms. Russell wanted to tease Laxman. So he said,"Mr. Laxman, Indians dullards." Laxman could not digest the caustic comment. He was very angry and was about to reel off the names of great Indian personalities, ancient and modern. But to his surprise, Russell mentioned with a smile the names of some great Indian personalities and said that it was the Indians who invented 'zero', the center of development.

Both RKs are celebrities. Both of them are Padma Vibhushan awardees.