Krishen Khanna: Painting the Stories of Everyday Lives

Krishen Khanna wasn’t just a painter - you could say he was more like a storyteller with a brush. He was born in 1925 in Lyallpur (now in Pakistan), his early life was marked by the Partition. This experience seeped deeply into his work. Many of his paintings carry the weight of that era. They don’t capture the grand heroes, but the quiet struggles of ordinary people.

Interestingly, Khanna didn’t begin his journey as a full-time artist. He worked as a banker at Grindlays for years. But even while surrounded by files and ledgers, art was where he found peace. Eventually, he gave up that predictable life and chose his canvas over corporate security. That choice alone makes his story inspiring. It shows that it’s never really too late to chase the thing that makes you feel alive.

One of his most striking themes was the bandwallahs - those brass-band musicians you generally see at Indian weddings. In Khanna’s eyes, they weren’t just part of the background; they became symbols of life’s duality. Their bright uniforms carried celebration, but their tired faces spoke of struggle. Through them, he captured the bittersweet truth of joy and hardship walking hand in hand.

He was also part of the Progressive Artists’ Group. There, he worked alongside giants like M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza and Tyeb Mehta. Still, his artistic voice remained his own- gentle and empathetic. Over the years, his contributions earned him the Padma Shri and later the Padma Bhushan. This recognition cemented his place in the story of modern Indian art.

Today, Khanna’s paintings hang in galleries across the world. But their real home is in the hearts of people who see themselves in them. His art is like a reminder: the stories of common people are never common - they are what carry the soul of a nation.