Love isn’t just a feeling, its an art. Like any art it doesn’t only need inspiration but a lot of work.
Inspired by love this man worked too extraordinarily to pursue his love story, undertook a journey of 4 months and 3 weeks on a second hand bicycle all the way from Delhi to Gothenburg to meet his beloved.
It is the story of PK Mahanandia (Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia) born on 1949 to a weaver in Kandhapada village of Odisha. Driven by the beauty of art Mahanandia joined college of Art, Delhi in 1971 to study Fine Arts.
Considered as an expert in making portraits, PK Mahanandia became popular in his college by drawing a portrait of Indira Gandhi. He sought permission from authorities to sit under the holy fountain at Connaught Place and draw portraits.
It was here that he met the love of his life, Charlotte Von Schedvin, a student in London who had come to India and visited PK to make her portrait.
PK made her portrait while destiny painted both of them in the tapestry of love and they got married.
Charlotte had to return to Sweden while Pradyumna remained.
After some time Pradyumna sold all his belongings and bought a second hand cycle and set his journey from New Delhi to Sweden. He passed through Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgeria, Yugoslavia, Germany, Autria, Denmark and Sweden.
On being stopped at the Sweden border, the poor fellow showed his marriage photographs and letters with Charlotte.
Surprisingly Charlotte had never disclosed that she came from Swedish Nobility and the officials at the border found it unbelievable that a woman from Nobility would marry an ordinary Indian.
Officials let PK in when Charlotte informed the authorities that the suspect was her husband. Being apprehensive whether or not Charlotte would accept him, to his amazement she drove 70 kms from her hometown to claim him as her life partner. Charlottes parents who had been also effusive of the man who had come a long way from India cycling later accepted him as family.
Applauded film makers from Bollywood and Hollywood are planning to make a film on this incredible love-story.
Meanwhile the couple married again in 1979.
Pradyumna is a well known artist in Sweden. He works as an Adviser, Art and Culture under the Swedish Government. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in 2012.
Swedish Government has made many films in his honor to document this love-story