Sachin's portrait much liked, Anna sold for Rs 20K

As a reformative programme for Tihar Jail inmates, the jail authorities have engaged many prisoners to channelise and ventilate themselves through paintings.

Taking creative art therapy as a reformatory process, the authorities have set up a painting class where convicts exiled from the rest of the world, who are bound to have tremendous anger, aggression, sense of helplessness, hopelessness and emotional problems, express themselves though art.

In last few years, the convicts and their paintings received various accolades from dignitaries and visitors at the Tihar Jail. “Seeing this, we have organised various exhibitions of these paintings, and to a surprise, they were appreciated everywhere,” said Sunil Gupta, Tihar spokesperson.

During the annual conference, a painting of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar made by convicts was very much appreciated and even Vimla Mehra, director general (prison), found it very appealing and suggested the painter to gift it to Sachin.

Man behind the art

The man who created the painting of the master blaster along with other 19 inamtes now train 30 prisoners the art of pencils and brushes.

To motivate the convicts, the jail authorities have been organising paintings exhibitions at various palaces in the Capital, including Select CityWalk mall.

To everyone’s surprise, M Lankeshwaran’s painting of Anna Hazare fetched him Rs 20,000 at an exhibition recently.

“Lankeshwaran is serving jail term for a murder and made an oil painting of Hazare. A tourist bought the painting for Rs 20,000,” said a Tihar official.