Portrait artist Milind Rathkanthiwar on sketching faces and being inspired by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to pursue his passion

For Rathkanthiwar, art forms a central theme in his life. He has sketched portraits of over 350 eminent personalities from various fields, such as literature, music, drama, science and politics. There are portraits of Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and many more.

Speaking about the event, he said, “To mark this occasion, I also created a portrait of our founder, Dr VG Kale. My inspiration to draw was solidified when former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on seeing the portrait I had made of him, praised me and persuaded me to carry on. That was a major push and something that motivated me to work even harder.”

Milind Rathkanthiwar presenting a portrait to Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

Rathkanthiwar, who started drawing 10 years ago, said that dreams have no age limit. “Through some tweaks and perseverance, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. It’s never too late to put yourself on top of your list, prioritise, and do what you’ve always wanted to do,” he says.

He says that likeness in a portrait is very important, however even more important to a sketch is vitality. “Rather than approaching by identifying characteristic features, which could lead to a caricature, I build up the image through which the character’s presence can emerge. Mr Vajpayee, for instance, had a lasting impression for the sheer poetry of his presentation. Through my sketch, I wanted to capture his mesmerising oratory with emphasis on the pauses he took. That was a unique facet to him, his pauses spoke volumes. Even with Lata Mangeshkar, I wanted to capture her deeply engrossed in singing,” says Rathkanthiwar speaking about the process of sketching portraits and the details he tends to focus on. Although he sketches the portraits with pencil and sometimes charcoal, he hopes to expand to oil paints soon.

Talking about his long-held passion for art and the need for people to rediscover their childhood hobbies and interests, he says, “Our childhood memories are a treasure trove that we can cull for clues to what might add passion to our adult lives. Every child is an artist. The challenge is how to remain an artist once you grow up. One should always try and rediscover himself. Rediscovering your innate creativity is almost therapeutic. Especially in the second innings of life, after retirement, it gives you immense pleasure and satisfaction to pursue your hobbies and interests.”

Although he had strong artistic impulses as a child, Rathkanthiwar admits he didn’t treat them as anything but passing interest. However, after turning 50 he channelled these artistic impulses through music and writing. Beginning with articles and short stories, he published his first novel Tya Fulanchya Gandkoshi, that is now in its third edition. The book has also been translated to Hindi and English, with Braille and audio versions available as well. Narrating experiences through music, he has also held more than 50 stage performances, wherein he sings Kishore Kumar songs.