| R. K. Laxman Museum | |
| Location: | Balewadi, Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| Type: | Single-artist museum |
| Owner: | Pune Municipal Corporation |
The R. K. Laxman Museum is a single-artist museum located in Balewadi area of Pune, Maharashtra. It is dedicated to the life and works of R. K. Laxman, one of India's most popular cartoonist and illustrator. The Government of Maharashtra and the Pune Municipal Corporation collaborated to create this museum which was inaugurated on 6 March 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[1] [2] [3]
In career spanning more than 70 years, Laxman created over 35,000 cartoons and illustrations. After he died on 26 January 2015, his daughter Usha undertook the task of compiling the works for the purpose of creating the museum. The idea came to fruition when the state government and the local municipal body joined in. The architecture of the museum was executed by design consultancy firm Unitecture. The work had begun in 2015 and handed over to Laxman family in 2018 to design the art galleries. However, it was delayed by over 8 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, the museum was inaugurated in 2022.[4] [5]
The layout of the museum consists of several galleries, a cafeteria, two audio-visual rooms, and exhibition halls. A huge life-size portrait of Laxman's The Common Man, his most famous creation, greets the visitors and the tourists. The entire life story of Laxman is narrated by the Common Man, who takes the visitors through a mixed-media journey, telling them the story of the man who created him. In the welcome note to the museum, the Common Man, says: “A grand welcome to the R. K. Laxman Museum. I am your host and I will give you a visual experience of this museum and tell you the story of the man you created me.”[6]
The gallery showing Laxman's life has a portion that depicts his childhood spent with his elder brother, R. K. Narayan, the creator of Malgudi Days, and a prominent figure of modern Indian English writing. Laxman had in fact begun his career by illustrating Narayan's books.[7]
In the caricature section of the photo gallery, Laxman's caricature sketches of famous personalities are showcased. A particular section also shows Laxman's depictions of the elephant-headed god, Ganesha in various forms, while another space of the gallery is dedicated to his cartoons on children. The outdoor galleries show his cartoons about the Mumbai administration, and some of The Common Man sketches. Textual panels on the walls, and audio-visual frames guide the visitors through the museum.
Two different shows, one a documentary on Laxman's life, and another a light-and-sound show on Malgudi days, take place in the two dedicated audio-visual rooms within the museum. The light-and-sound brings to life the town of Malgudi, that Narayan had fictitiously created.[8]
A dedicated gallery space deals with the crow, Laxman's favourite bird. The gallery houses the various sketches of the bird made by the cartoonist, as well as models of the birds busy in different activities. Laxman was fond of them as he found them energetic, naughty and intelligent. He could even distinguish one from the other, and had different names for them.
His last cartoon made on 20th December 2014 for the occasion of India's Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalayan's completion of hundred days on the Martian orbit is housed in the audio-visual gallery. It shows the Common Man travelling towards the red planet with a national flag in his hand. His son Arun, employed at ISRO, is referred to in the note along with the cartoon.[9] [10] [11]
Today, Laxman's grand daughter Rimanika carries her grandfather's legacy forward. She has created the Common Woman, presenting a gendered version of the societal caricature that Laxman's immortal cartoon featured.[12]