Common Man andLaxman stand tall

Bengaluru: If political thinker and writer U R Ananthamurthy lit up the atmosphere at the inaugural edition of the Times Litfest Bengaluru last year, it was the portrayal of the Common Man by R K Laxman that kicked off the carnival on Saturday.
Day 1 of the festival got off to a perfect start with a display of the legend’s work, which has enthralled TOI readers over decades.
“Dear Chittappa, your death has taken the humour out of this world,” Laxman’s nephew Balram wrote on a wall created for visitors to pay their tributes.
Usha, the cartoonist’s daughter-in-law, wrote, “Common Man –– Strongest brand created by legend R K Laxman, the Bharat Ratna”.
The Litfest, which celebrates Bengaluru as a hub of thinking people, will discuss several challenging ideas –– some of them out-of-the-box.
If historian Ramachandra Guha’s argument that India needs both Gandhi and Ambedkar to fight the caste system reflected the organizers’ commitment to serious debate, the entertainment quotient enlivened the evening.
Sunday will have several discussions. In the evening, Cyrus Broacha will present the best of his jest.