Releasing a coffee table book "Timeless Laxman" based on the life and times of renowned cartoonist RK Laxman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday that he was happy to be a part of the timeless journey of the late cartoonist.

"I am very happy to be part of Laxman's timeless journey. I am happy that we can now get an insight into the vast treasure of Laxman's work. Studying Laxman's works through the decades is a nice way to understand sociology, and the socio-economic milieu of the times,”  the Prime Minister said.

“This effort is not just for Laxman or his memory..A small part of Laxman lives within the minds of crores of people. Laxman's common man is timeless and pan-Indian. All Indians, and all generations of people identify with him, Modi said.

The coffee table book has been penned by his daughter-in-law, Usha Srinivas Laxman.

It may be recalled that Laxman — best known for his creation The Common Man  for his daily cartoon strip, “ You Said it” in  The Times of India   which started in 1951—passed away at a Pune hospital on January 26, 2015.

Meanwhile, a delegation representing the film and entertainment industry, called on Prime Minister Modi in Mumbai today. The delegation comprised producers and CEOs of companies in the entertainment industry.

The delegation, comprising among others actors Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, producers Karan Johar and  Siddhartha Roy Kapur, rooted for lower and uniform rates of GST, for the entertainment industry in India.

The delegation  also expressed its strong support of the Prime Minister's vision for making India a five trillion dollar economy in the near future. They gave an overview of the vast growth potential of the media and entertainment industry in India, and said that this sector is poised to contribute in a significant way towards this goal.

Members of the delegation strongly made a strong case for developing Mumbai as the global entertainment capital, through various initiatives and proactive approaches.

On his part, Modi said that the Indian entertainment industry enjoyed immense popularity across the world and it was one of the key elements of India's rising soft power status, globally.