‘We are living in a world of love and acceptance’: An Indian artist’s journey to become a world-famous artist
The title is a cliché but Indian artist and writer Ankit Singh Bains has taken that term literally.
Bains, a former student of the famed artist Abhijit Roy and now an internationally recognised voice of the music scene, has created an Instagram account with the tag ‘we are living on the internet’ that he says is dedicated to sharing stories of his life with people from across the globe.
His story of life on the Internet started in 2010, when he was working at a video store in Delhi.
He was on the phone with his girlfriend and a friend at 4am, waiting for the bus home when he saw a post on the app that said ‘A few days ago I had a conversation with an older woman and she was saying that she liked to have a chat with me on the streets and in the parks, and she wanted to meet me there.
So I decided to join her.
I was the only Indian in the group and I met her for the first time in the street.’
Bains said his first encounter with the internet was on Instagram, where he found out that he was the first person to be featured in the trending category of ‘most viewed’.
He also noticed the huge amount of attention he got from his fans and, after several followers commented, Bains posted his first story on the account, a story about how he went to a dance class in Delhi and met his idol.’
I saw the story and wanted to share it with my fans, but I realised that people are interested in the story.
They don’t know how to read or write.
They only know what they read in the newspaper and what they watch on television,’ he said.’
The next day, I got a call from an old friend who told me that he had just read my story and had sent me a link to it.
I started sharing it with people on Instagram and soon, people started responding to my stories.
They would also ask me questions, and I had some great conversations with them.’
Bain said he also realised that the internet had changed his life.’
When I was a child, I used to spend hours in front of my parents, but now, I can take a video call from my phone and listen to the music.
When I used a phone, I would miss things.
Now, I feel at home in the world of technology,’ he added.
The artist has been featured in national and international publications such as the Times of India, The Times of Oman, The Hindu and The Huffington Post and he has been inducted into the prestigious India International Academy of Music.
He has also been nominated for a Bollywood award for his work and has even been chosen to participate in the 2014 Music Hall of Fame.’
Now I am also in a position where I can be recognized as an icon in India.
I want to share my story to show people that India is a place where people can come together,’ he told Time.’
There are many stories out there that I can share, even if they don’t believe in my story.
I am going to keep sharing my story with my followers until it is the biggest story in the history of India.’
The young artist has already written more than 10 books, and is one of the most influential writers of the last 20 years.
‘It is time to give back to the world by sharing the truth of my life.
I hope people of India come together and share the same values and take the power to change the world,’ he concluded.