As
curtains came down on the three - day international
seminar to commemorate R.K. Narayan's birth centenary,
his brother, famed cartoonist, R.K. Laxman landed in
the city here yesterday from Madikeri. Laxman, who is
staying in Hotel Metropole for three days along with
his wife Kamala, was greeted by his close associate
T. S. Satyan, noted photo - journalist, Dr. K. C. Belliappa,
Professor of English, Manasagangotri and Harish Trivedi,
Chairperson of Indian Association for Commonwealth Literature
and Language Studies.
Reminiscing
the past and his brother's literary world, Laxman said,
“I was the first one to listen to Narayan's stories.
He used to read out to me first and ask for my opinion."
When
Dr. Belliappa asked Laxman whether the latter suggested
any changes after listening to the stories, he just
said no and felt that reading out stories to him used
to give immense pleasure to Narayan. When Trivedi told
him about the three - day birth centenary celebrations
of the writer, Laxman said he would have loved to participate,
had he known about it. Trivedi told Laxman that the
celebrations were not just customary but a meeting of
the writers' fans and lovers of literature. When he
was told that a souvenir will be brought out soon on
Narayan, Laxman said, "please do not forget to
send me one".
Laxman
nostalgically said that old memories start unfolding
the moment he reached Mysore. His wife Kamala also likes
Mysore and said her favorite tourist places are Chamundi
Hill and Nanjangud. Her favorite shopping joint is Cauvery
Emporium. However, the modernity the city is embracing,
changing the old look, seems to have not gone well with
Laxman couple. In unison, they said they are not comfortable
staying in palatial buildings. They had stayed in Lalitha
Mahal Palace Hotel during their last visit to city.
Even the newly renovated ambience of Metropole has not
caught Laxman's liking for simple things.
"The
old style and decoration of this hotel was better",
he said. In fact, when Salman Rushdie's book Midnight's
Children was given to Narayan, the latter put down the
book after reading only two pages, saying it was an
unreadable book. Recalling the incident, Dr. Belliappa
asked Laxman what was his opinion about Rushdie's book.
"Oh, I just can't read that book," he said.
Novelist Vikram Seth's works, however, he said he liked.
It was the caricatures by Laxman that gave life to Narayan's
stories. Recalling those days, Laxman said it was regrettable
that his brother's House of Thunder drama, for which
he had sketched beautiful cartoons, did not get published.
He
also said he did not have the original pictures he drew
for Narayan's stories.
Laxman,
who is suffering from partial paralysis, says he travelled
all over the world but his present condition makes it
difficult to even visit Mysore.
It
could be a co - incidence that during the birth centenary
year of his brother Narayan, Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru
University is presenting an Honorary Doctorate to Laxman
on Nov. 4.
Courtesy:
Star of Mysore
