HYDERABAD : It is never too late to turn your passion into your hobby and this was proved right again, by Susheel Kumar Gotla, a sports administrator from the city, who used his time during the Covid-induced lockdown to turn his interest into a profession.
Susheel, who earlier pursued art only during his free time, made the most of the lockdowns. “Growing up, I was fascinated with sports, although, my soul kept reminding me that I am an artist. When the pandemic struck, I took to painting with all the leftover paints I had at home”, says Susheel. What started as a leisure pursuit blissfully became a profession. When he started showcasing his work to his extended family and friends, their appreciation of his works was the motivation he needed.
Impressed by his paintings and his keen eye for detail and aesthetics, his sister Shalini encouraged him to pursue an art course. At 38, he took up a three-month crash course at Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU), Masab Tank.
As he kept working on his skills as a painter and sculptor, he sculpted a desktop sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi. He shares the story behind his work saying, “I was 13 when I read The Story of My Experiments with Truth (autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi). The rich philosophy and reasoning impacted me at that tender age. After I was done with the final product of the figurine, I sent the picture of it to Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, through social media. A few days later, I received a response from Tushar ji.”
The desktop figurine is 7-inches tall and is made out of cement. Later, it was sent for metal casting. “The sculpture took over 2 months to make since it is a desktop figurine - the details have to be shrunk while also ensuring the minute ones likes wrinkles aren’t left out,” Susheel tells CE.
The artist sought an appointment with Tushar Gandhi in Mumbai and shares his experience saying, “Tushar ji is a humble man and I was surprised by how warm and welcome he made me feel. We spent our time talking about Bapu and Kasturba Gandhi and talked extensively about The Story of My Experiments with Truth.”
Impressed by his work, Tushar accepted the sculpture. “I never thought, even in my wildest dreams, that my work would someday bring me to meet the household of Mahatma Gandhi.” On a concluding note, Susheel addressed the issue of lack of society’s encouragement and support as one of the biggest reasons for dying art: “Never discourage a child trying to be an artist - if only people around me knew my art would bless me with the rare opportunity of meeting someone like the Gandhi family!”