स्वर्गीय कलाकार अनिरुद्ध साईंनाथ कृष्णमणि को श्रद्धांजलि - R.I.P. Anirudh Sainath Krishnamani (Molee Art)

कुछ दिन पहले, मौली (या मोलै) आर्ट - Molee Art, नाम से प्रख्यात डिजिटल आर्टिस्ट अनिरुद्ध साईंनाथ कृष्णमणि हमारे बीच नहीं रहे। वे अवसाद से जूझ रहे थे। भारतीय पुराणों, ग्रंथों, देवी-देवताओं पर उनकी कलाकृतियां देश-विदेश में मशहूर हुई। 

उनके पिता स्वर्गीय एम.एन कृष्णमणि (1948-2017) सुप्रीम कोर्ट के नामी वकील, सुप्रीम कोर्ट बार एसोसिएशन ऑफ़ इंडिया के पूर्व अध्यक्ष और पद्म श्री (2016) थे और माता राधा कृष्णमणि (देहांत: 2007) भारत नाट्यम नृतक, भजन गायिका थीं।

कई लोगों के लिए तो भारतीय ग्रंथों के पात्रों और हिंदू भगवानों के रूप की कल्पना अनिरुद्ध जी की कलाकृतियां ही थी। उन्होंने देश में कुछ जगह अपनी कला प्रदर्शनियां भी आयोजित की, उन्हीं में से एक जगह उन्हें अपनी 2-3 कलाओं की वजह से कुछ स्थानीय नेताओं और लोगों का विरोध भी झेलना पड़ा। कई कलाकार उन्हें अपना आदर्श मानते हैं और आज भी लाखों लोग, उनका काम इंटरनेट पर खोजते हैं। उन्होंने जीवन के आखिरी सालों में जापानी थीम पर कलाकृतियां बनाई। वे उन कुछ डिजिटल कलाकारों में शामिल थे जिनकी वजह से भारतीय लोगों ने डिजिटल आर्ट के माध्यम को मान्यता दी। 

2014 में उन्होंने एक बच्चे जैसे उत्साह के साथ TEDx पर भारतीय पुराणों पर बात की थी। भगवान राम, हनुमान जी की शक्तियों बारे में बताते हुए उनकी आँखों में जो चमक थी उससे पता चल रहा था कि वे इस विषय के लिए कितने समर्पित थे। अब अनिरुद्ध हमारे बीच नहीं हैं पर उनकी कई कलाकृतियों में उनकी सोच और रचनात्मक अंदाज़ ज़िंदा रहेगा।

कितना अधूरा छोड़ दिया, फिर भी कितना कर गए,

तीस सालों में जैसे सात जन्म जी लिए...

#ज़हन

TEDx Event 2014

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Artist Mrinal Rai on Anirudh

"ARTISTS too can suffer from depression, please please keep encouraging them....

So artist Anirudh Sainath is no more. You must have seen one of his amazing artworks by his art name Molee's Art. Those who draw about Indian scriptures and heritage (hate to call it Mythology!) know his work very well. I remember encountering his work many years ago on Deviantart (where I am now very less active). I was working on my book and was drawing artworks based on Kurukshetra war. I remember drawing the scene of battle between Ghatokatch and Karna and shared it on Orkut. I received a lot of comments that how can Ghatotkatch have hair he was born bald and many more. I took my own pleasure to explain to them that the art is as per description in Drona Parva and was sure that no one else had captured it that way. But was surprised to see Molee not only captured it that way but also art was way superior than mine. I was both surprised and jealous ofcourse! 

From then on i always followed him, his artwork on many Indian scripture incidences are marvelous. I remember many a times a post was forwarded on FB and WhatsApp that he is the "most underrated artist of India" with his famous painting of Rama standing on a flying Hanuman. I also remember someone sharing his and my artwork side by side of Shiva saying that the chillam smoking Shiva (Molee's) is not our culture and the Halahala drinking Shiva is (mine). I was a bit happy that someone chose my art over his but I know it was not because of quality of art. I know in this birth, I may never match to the great artistic mastery of Anirudh. Many of his artworks are my favorites, including one of Nachiketa, Trapjaw, Drona etc. I wish I could get a chance to meet him virtually or in person, discuss with him of our epics and scriptures at length. Heard that he died of depression (not confirmed), How can someone of his stature be under depression? But then again, you never know what the other person is going through. Now Molee Art is among those he loved to draw and its our loss, it felt a personal loss to me.. Much to learn much to learn, May his soul finds moksha."

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