Chess champ Viswanathan Anand’s son, Sai Akhil, floats clothing collection

Viswanathan Anand with Sai Akhil
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Sai Akhil Anand sees patterns everywhere. On the road. And, on animals.

“I once looked keenly at the stripes of the zebra and tiger and observed patterns on them,” recalls Akhil, in a telephonic chat, “This made me very interested in art and patterns.”

The 13-year-old, son of Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand, has recently ventured into a collaboration with ethnic brand Hastha to bring traditional Indian art forms to life in a new collection of hand-block printed clothing. This limited-edition collection is Akhil’s interpretation of traditional Indian motifs, featuring prints of horses, fish, cows, peacocks and lord Ganesha. “Divya Vigneshwaran, who runs Hastha Foundation, saw me talking at a festival once and suggested that I explore hand-block printing on clothes,” he says.

The result of that conversation was Hastha x Akhil, which features, among other things, theAkhil Tee, a cotton T-shirt printed with traditional hand-block techniques.

For the collection’s photo shoot, Akhil enlisted close family and friends as models. His father (chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand),mother (Aruna Anand), grandfather and art teacher Diana Satish feature in the photographs. “The shoot was a happy experience and I loved featuring in the photos with my family members,” says Akhil, who already has an online platform (Akhilisms on Instagram) that makes his artwork accessible as giftable items.

The proceeds of Hastha x Akhil will go towards Hastha Foundation, a non-profit organisation that empowers adults with neurological challenges through the art of hand block printing.

“I hope to work on mugs and books next year,” he says.

Apart from authoring The HEart of Math, in which he explores patterns in daily life, Akhil – currently studying in Class VIII at Chennai’s APL Global – is also keenly interested in gymnastics, yoga and badminton. He hopes to become an artist in the future, with a solo art exhibition being planned for June 2025. He also mentions BR Ambedkar as one of his life inspirations. “I was really touched reading his early life stories and his desire to work on the Constitution of India,” says Akhil.

And, when he is not busy with art or reading, Akhil does enjoy a game of chess with his superstar father. “I’m learning the game. I am currently studying openings like the London System and the hyper accelerated dragon.” So, who wins at home: Anand or Akhil? “Well, nobody wins,” he laughs.

To check out this limited-edition collection, visit hastha.co.in