Manoj Kumar was born without his right hand, but his disability posed no obstacle to his creativity.
Manoj,known as Manu, a native of Chekkam in Pathanapuram, is an acclaimed artist.
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It was his mother Thankamma who gave him the strength to nurture his talent.
Working as a house maid, Thankamma sent him to Ravi Varma College to study art. He completed the course in 1999, but due to his disability and financial constraints, he stopped painting even though getting detached from his brushes and colours was painful. To support his family, he started working in a workshop as a number plate writer.
Initially, people hesitated to approach him, but things changed after they saw his work.
However, later those brushes and paint came back to his hand. Manimala Mohan, a fellow artist helped and encouraged him and Manu studied under him.
Later, he got an opportunity to paint on the walls of a nursery, and let the world know about his talent.
“I don’t have any big dreams. No one would think that I could earn by drawing with the left hand. I thank the Almighty for giving what I have today,” says Manu. “Through my works, I want to show people who don’t do any job and depend on others that nothing is impossible in this world if you have a mind to work hard.”
