Srirangapatna, 1980
This is my homage to R.K. Laxman, whom I met several times in the late seventies. I know that the crows that he has drawn over the years are imbued with his unabashed love for them, while mine are definitely not. His crows are always in motion; what I mean is that they look as though they would snarl, attack, scrounge, and generally outsmart and disconcert mankind. Maybe this did not reflect Laxman's own temperament, but was something that remained essential to him because it was acquired in childhood, when he himself might have been full of mischief; and thereafter, while he grew into a more tranquil being, the crows retained their aggression.
As a child I was very impressed by crows. One of my chores was to throw rotis to them every morning. As soon as I did I would run, because they were so quick, they wouldn't wait until the ghee-smeared roti hit the ground. While I continue to respect the intelligence of these ravens, I have somehow learned to wish them away.
I was therefore smiling as I took pictures of these and other crows, as I had no idea how I managed to make them look docile and tranquilised. One fact remains: I took these pictures to offer them to Laxman, but then the last time I met him was in 1982, at his office, and then lost complete touch with him. As I wish him comfort in his ailments, I also wish that somehow this offering also would come under his scanner.
(Source for R.K. Laxman's crows: R.K. Laxman: The Uncommon Man, by Dr. Dharmendra Bhandari)
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