TUESDAY - SUNDAY 10:30 AM - 5:30PM | MONDAY - HOLIDAY
MUSEUM IS CLOSED ON 15TH AUGUST - SATURDAY
CREATIONS
WELCOME TO THE
OF R.K. LAXMAN
A MUSEUM LIKE NO OTHER
The R. K. Laxman Museum of Art in Balewadi, Pune, was envisioned by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. The Government of Maharashtra took the project forward under his guidance, while the Pune Municipal Corporation led its execution—from identifying the site to developing the museum’s infrastructure.
The museum traces R. K. Laxman’s journey from childhood to becoming one of India’s most influential cartoonists. In a distinctive narrative approach, his story is told by his most iconic creation—the Common Man.
Through thoughtfully designed wall panels and immersive audiovisual experiences, visitors discover the life, work and enduring legacy of R. K. Laxman through the eyes of the character who became the voice of a nation.
UNCOMMON
BEHIND THE COMMON MAN
MAN
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman (1921–2015) was one of India’s most celebrated cartoonists, illustrators and humorists. With an extraordinary eye for detail and a line that was both economical and expressive, he transformed everyday events into observations that were incisive, witty and unmistakably human.
For more than five decades, his daily pocket cartoon, You Said It, in The Times of India captured the changing face of India. At its centre stood his most iconic creation—the Common Man. Silent, bewildered and endlessly observant, the character came to embody the hopes, frustrations and contradictions of millions of Indians.
Honoured with the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Ramon Magsaysay Award, R. K. Laxman left behind far more than a remarkable body of work. He gave India a character through whom it could recognise, question and laugh at itself.