He battled many demons throughout his life: Indranil's childhood friend

A childhood friend reminisces about city-based artist Ram Indranil Kamath who died at his residence aged 41 on Wednesday

He was Ramchandra Kamath within his cultured Gaud Saraswat Brahmin clan, deeply entrenched in Matunga, where he had lived all his life. The artist Indranil Kamath to the art world. RK, if you knew him in the late 1990s from South Indian Education Society College of Arts, Science and Commerce where he studied, like a good South Indian boy, Science.

In the last decade or so, he settled on Ram Indranil Kamath, an identity that brought together all parts of him. But didn't heal the internal child tormented and scarred by a toxic algebra — years of sexual abuse as a child starting at pre-school age, bullying and physical abuse targetted at his sexuality and body. RK was overweight in college. A bane made harder in the male-dominated Science stream, in a solidly basic middle-class degree college. His refuge was the extra-curricular activities, especially fashion shows, where he would be surrounded by girls and women. He designed seductive clothes, hung out in the girl's green room and came out first to a model while he had his hand up her skirt, folding in tin foil. "Don't worry, I'm not being creepy," he said. "You're gay aren't you?" She asked. "Yep". "Cool".

And with that he was free. He never pretended to be straight again, though he did use the ladies bathroom (with an ever-angry girlfriend as his Rottweiler) whenever he could. He made one more concession to the world, perhaps his last; he studied Business Management at the Lala Lajpat Rai College in Haji Ali, before diving into the creative world.

Never studied art formally

He never studied art formally. His gods travelled to him from his grandmother Bapuma's stories, every detail drawn out while lying on his belly on the floor of his room, his hand moving in sweeping, slow, controlled motions. His friendship with mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik was assumedly forged when Devdutt saw his painting of Lord Jagannath and said, "You've nailed him."

Ram Indranil Kamath. Pic/Instagram

In the mid and late 2000s, the artist Indranil Kamath arrived. His painting of a Devi found a home with actor Sushmita Sen, and he, a close friendship. Whenever the demons of his childhood emerged, he'd call her. "Come to me, my bachcha. I love you," she would reportedly say. A ceiling-to-floor depiction of Lord Srinathji is said to hang in the Ambani home. There were other creative partnerships — one with designer Kallol Dutta who used Indranil's Suicide Print and another with jeweller Poonam Soni, who set his miniatures on glass in ornaments for Gaudi Revived.

Critics and buyers turned up their nose at his Mermaid series and Troy paintings, but both came from his soul. The muse for the mermaid was a transgender beauty queen and Troy was based on the movie. It was the last one he saw with his father before the latter passed away, with whom he shared a complicated relationship.

Indranil blossomed along with his art identity — while he wore a ruby bugadi in one ear since college, the accessories grew as did his confidence in his sexuality. He shed weight to reveal a chiselled jawline that he revelled in. Pierced his nose to wear his beloved Bapuma's diamond nose pin, a triangular ring on his finger to revere the homosexuals extinguished in the Holocaust, an eyebrow piercing and scores of tattoos. Under this vivacity was a dark, sarcastic undertone which found expression through pencil sketches usually shown only to friends. A pro-sex series with aunties dispensing advice. "Beta, sex karna zaruri hai," said one hukka-smoking baiji. Another one showing babies and children indulging in narcotics and drugs, a comment on the over-medication of children.

There was another trauma he had faced in his teens: The suicide of a talented dancer friend who was the star of fashion shows. Those bound by this tragedy made a pact — we'd call each other if we felt the compulsion to seek another world. In the week before his departure, Indranil posted pictures of his most celebrated works on social media. And then he opened the door to the afterlife without telling his friends.

Kamath found in bathroom, left suicide note

Artist Ramchandra Indranil Kamath, 41, was found dead inside his bathroom by the Matunga police on Wednesday. The body was lying in the bathtub and there was a suicide note in which he said that no one should be held responsible for his actions. Kamath's mother called her relatives when Kamath did not come out for a long time. The relatives then informed the cops. Kamath was rushed to Sion hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Police said they are yet to investigate the cause of death as the body has been sent for an autopsy.

- Vishal Singh

The artwork of Hanuman that Kamath painted for author Devdutt Pattanaik's home. Pic courtesy/Devdutt Pattanaik

This is heartbreaking: Devdutt Pattanaik

Author Devdutt Pattanaik was shocked at the news. He said, "This is heartbreaking. He was ill, he told me and was meeting psychiatrists. Just three weeks ago, he surprised me with food delivery, simply dropping a text saying he wanted to surprise his dear ones. He said that my books inspired many of his artworks, including his painting of Ileshwar Mahadev based on my book 'The Pregnant King'. He had painted a beautiful picture of Hanuman that graces my home. He kept sharing his new art with me and then would disappear and then come back."

- Jovita Aranha

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