Kiran Rao has made headlines and for a good noble reason.
Chintan Upadhyay, who is in jail for the last two years for murdering his wife Hema and her lawyer Harish Bhambani, has focused his energies on painting even behind the bars.
At a recent exhibition of paintings by the inmates of Thane Jail, Chintan's art was sold for Rs 4.5 lakh.
And who bought it? None other than Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao. The painting Rao picked up features an elephant with long, brittle legs, and appears to have been inspired by Spanish artist Salvador Dali's works.
Jail authorities spoke to Mumbai Mirror and revealed that the exhibition, held at a city school on December 2 and 3, was part of 'Art from behind bars' initiative.
The project is supported by Dagar Pathway Trust, a children's community service project that works towards promoting artistic talent among prisoners across the state. The exhibition was a part of a students' project, said the Mirror report.
"We encourage these activities so that the prisoners learn to do something constructive. It can also lead them to think in a positive manner and pull them out of depression," said Rajvardhan Sinha, IG Prisons, in conversation with Mirror and also said that the proceeds of the exhibition would go to the prisoners' welfare fund.
The report concluded with Thane Jail superintendent Nitin Vayachal saying that Upadhyay was also part of painting workshops held every once in a while at the prison. He said: "He doesn't want them to draw what they see, but what they feel - from imagination. Inspired by him, the other jail inmates have also taken up to painting and are doing good work."
Upadhyay was arrested for the murders on December 22, 2015. Chintan Upadhyay is an Indian contemporary artist. He was awarded the Charles Wallace Foundation Award for Residency in Bristol, the UK in 2012.
