Remember that iconic scene from 3 Idiots in which a tense and scared Farhan Qureshi (played by R Madhavan) stands before his father instead of attending his campus placement event? Qureshi speaks up for the first time in his life saying that he wants to try his luck in wildlife photography instead of pursuing a career in engineering. After a few heated exchanges, his father hesitantly agrees to his son’s demand and decides to buy him a camera he needs to embark on his new career.
Prashant Yaduvanshi’s life took a similar course. Unlike Qureshi, he was a meritorious student though. Yaduvanshi cleared competitive exams like the JEE, NDA, AIPMT, and AFMC but he decided not to pursue a career in academics and quit college to become a tattoo artist.
Although tattoos have become the primary focus of Yaduvanshi’s life, initially, he was ignorant about the art. “I never decided to become a tattoo artist,” he says. “But I was intrigued and curious about how it worked and how it was possible to make smooth shade transitions with a needle. Once I understood my love and passion for tattooing, I left engineering. The fun part of the story is that the switch from engineering to tattoo artist happened without much thought.”
However, the path towards becoming a tattoo artist was no cakewalk. His father, a defence personnel, had high expectations from him. “I got disinterested in the education system, and there were some other personal reasons too for quitting my education. However, I did not tell my father I had quit college. I had to start earning at that point to sustain myself,” he adds.
Tattoos for mental health
As a tattoo artist, Yaduvanshi’s expertise lies in coverups, colour realism, and 3D illusions. However, making tattoos for him is not confined to only art and style but is a way to heal people. “For a lot of people, it is therapeutic, and neurologically speaking, the voluntary discomfort always adds up some positive things in their basket. Apart from that, while the sessions are going on, people converse a lot with us and share or let go of stuff that they usually do not like to discuss. In the end, if it is helping people to release their mental burden, then how could it not be therapeutic?” says Yaduvanshi.
Debunking myths
As a tattoo artist, Yaduvanshi often faces numerous questions, many of which revolve around well-established myths in the tattoo world; the most common one being whether people with tattoos can donate blood. He explains: “Most blood donation centers allow tattooed individuals to donate as long as they got their tattoo from a licensed shop and wait a short period (usually a few months) to ensure there’s no risk of infection.”
The second query is about how long tattoos last. “They do not fade quickly. They can remain vibrant for decades if the tattoo artist uses high-quality ink and the customer takes proper care like sun protection and moisturising the skin,” he says. He also adds that micro-realistic tattoos also do not blotch over time as skilled artists know how to make these tattoos. He also advises that those interested in getting tattoos should “properly research the tattoo artist” before getting the tattoos done by him/her.
What motivates Yaduvanshi is the growing popularity of tattoos among people. “It has been widely perceived that just gangsters and bikers get tattoos done. However, today engineers and surgeons are also getting tattooed. It's an art that has been accepted all over the world,” he says in conclusion.