Uttar Pradesh: Girl, 15, draws 15 portraits of freedom fighters at same time

BAREILLY: Noorjahan, a 15-year-old girl from UP's Budaun district who painted 15 portraits of eminent Indian freedom fighters and leaders simultaneously in a large canvas using pencils fixed on a rudimentary frame, has been getting rave reviews from one and all. A video of her artwork has already garnered three million views in three days on Twitter.
In the viral video, Noorjahan can be seen in a small, dilapidated room with a cot next to her, using a wooden frame to hold paint brushes and pens. With the same frame, she then completes 15 portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr BR Ambedkar, among others, next to each other all at once.

"I worked on the portraits for seven hours daily for two months and did it simultaneously. There were interruptions as I had to do household chores and study. I am happy that people are liking my work. I have been learning this art form religiously for five years. My dream is to make my nation proud one day. My father, Mahmood Miya (a tailor by profession) has struggled a lot in raising me and my siblings, seven of them, and we want to support him," Noorjahan, who studies in class IX, told TOI on Sunday.
The video clip even caught industrialist Anand Mahindra by surprise.
Sharing the clip, the chairman of Mahindra Group, took to Twitter and wrote: “How is this even possible? Clearly, she’s a talented artist. But to paint 15 portraits at once is more than art — it’s a miracle. Anyone located near her who can confirm this feat? If valid, she must be encouraged and I’d be pleased to provide a scholarship and other forms of support.”
On Mahindra’s rich compliment, she said, “I’m thankful to Mahindra sir for acknowledging my effort. All the great leaders of my country inspire me. So, I decided to work on this portrait.” Noorjahan lives in Vijaynagar under Binawar police limits. Her painting teacher Ajay Meena has made an appeal to send Noorjahan’s artwork for Guinness World Records, but no formal communication has been achieved so far. In another video, Noorjahan can be seen painting a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is being widely shared as well after the first video went viral.