'Angry Hanuman' artist elated following praise by PM Modi

Following words of appreciation he received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'Angry Hanuman' portrait, artist Karan Acharya, on Monday, expressed his jubilation for the same.

Speaking with ANI, Acharya said, "It all started when my friends were forcing me to do a painting on the flag which is unique for the Ganesh Chathurthi. We thought of many other gods but finally stuck at lord hanuman as we were devotees of him."

"We wanted to make a unique one so that is the reason I thought to portray an attitude on Hanuman. Generally, we get many images of Hanuman on Google but this is little different where I used orange as a background and just a single colour on it. The orange colour which I have used is just to symbolize the god but not in the support any political parties. When I did this portrait it just took half an hour for me as I have very less time," he added.

Speaking about the recent recognition he received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "I am very happy that my painting went such viral in just three years. What more could an artist want than seeing his painting everywhere. My friends were calling me continuously on Sunday, I thought they were calling normally but one of my friends texted me that the Prime Minister praised my painting. I didn't believe at first but later when I saw his video I was shocked and speechless. I feel it as the biggest achievement where my work grabbed the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My family was a great support for me since my childhood who encouraged me and I got inspired by them as they were also artists. I suggest every artist work on their passion later the fame will come to them."

According to reports, Prime Minister Modi had heaped praises on Acharya's painting in a rally in Mangaluru on Sunday, lauding the power of his achievement, talent and imagination. He also slammed the Congress' criticisms for the artwork, saying that their ecosystem cannot handle the magnificence of Acharya's imaginative art, claiming that they tried miring it in a controversy as they could not digest its success.