The key facts
- The book Chasing Kites will be released next week, with a launch event on 6 November at 5:30 pm at the Mawaheb studio in Dubai
- Budhrani was among the first group of artists with disabilities to receive the UAE's 10-year 'golden visa'
- The book is planned to be used in schools in India for conversations about bullying and inclusion
A story seven years in the making
Sharan Budhrani, a 36-year-old Dubai resident of Indian origin, lives with muscular dystrophy: he was diagnosed at the age of nine, and since 16 he has moved around in a wheelchair. In his book Chasing Kites, which will be released next week, he writes about being bullied at school — he was called a 'freak' and an 'alien' — about depression, and about how he found support in painting and poetry. He worked on the book for seven years together with Margot de Ruiter Hoekass, a Netherlands resident who volunteered at the Mawaheb studio and writes under the pseudonym Fara Libardi: Budhrani typed text on his phone, recorded voice messages and gave interviews. According to Hoekass, there are plans to use the book in schools in India — for conversations with children about bullying, inclusion and resilience.
Art and the 'golden visa'
Budhrani was born in the UAE; his family moved from Pune to Dubai almost 40 years ago and started a business supplying cosmetics and toiletries. He was among the first selected group of artists with disabilities to receive the UAE's 10-year 'golden visa' for their cultural contribution to the country. At the Mawaheb studio, which brings together young people with disabilities, he mastered 'action art': with the help of volunteers he poured paint onto a canvas laid on the floor and created vivid paintings using remote-controlled cars. His favourite colours are yellow and blue, symbolising happiness.
Health and the book's message
As his muscles weakened, Budhrani found it hard to breathe: in 2018 he underwent a tracheostomy, with a tube inserted into his windpipe, and he speaks with the help of a special device. 'Mental strength is what I offer to others. My body is just a vessel. I want people to know that I have not given up, that I keep going. Having a disability does not mean I have no dream,' he said in an interview with The National. The book's title refers to the freedom he feels when watching kites soaring in the sky. The launch event will take place on 6 November at 5:30 pm at the Mawaheb studio in Dubai; the book also features the voices of his mother, sister, nurse and painting teacher.
