Dental Student Paints New Destiny After Accident Leaves Him With Three Fingers

Cuttack:  When life throws unexpected problems, a person breaks down. But doors of success open automatically for the one who stands strong during hard times.

Take the case of Tapan Kumar Dalai. He was doing a dental course from a private college in 2013 when he lost his right hand and two fingers of the left hand in a train accident. He had to give up his studies mid-way. But thanks to his will power and dedication, he now does 3D paintings using just his three fingers and is now a popular 3D artist.

Cuttack-based Tapan also does paintings of many other forms, like water colour and pencil shadings etc with the help of three fingers.

“Before the accident I was good in art,” Tapan said. “But I could not do anything on my own after the accident. I had to depend on my father, mother and brother for everything. Then when my mother fell ill, I tried to my work myself. I also tried to do some household chores to help my mother.

“My family members gave me strength. My mother encouraged me to paint with my left hand. Thanks to them, I can now paint using just three fingers,” he said.

“I had a dream to serve patients and was doing my BDS from a private college in Bhubaneswar. But the train accident in 2013 put an end to my studies,” Tapan said. “I still remember the accident. It took place at 10pm. I was lying near the railway track till midnight. I will never forget the struggle of those two hours. After the accident, I began thinking that there should be a reason for success. There is a reason for which we drink water and eat food. Like that, I now have a reason to be successful in life. I have a reason to live my life.”

“It took a year for complete recovery. After that my life changed completely. I used to do pencil art before the accident. Now I am doing better than that. I can express my feelings in many forms of art,” he said. “I have learned 3D art from the Internet. Now I’m planning to sell those paintings online. I want to build a career on this. I also want to organise an exhibition.”