Hyderabad-based Swetha Ipi cannot run without support, but her celebrity pencil sketch travels far and wide in the hearts of fans. Diagnosis with muscle dystrophy-a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness-she is a self-affected artist, whose story is one of the cool flexibility, which makes a sketch at a time.
Sahara Estate, on the first floor of her house in Auto Nagar, Svetha sits with her favorite corner with an adjustable table, drawing paper sheet and her wheelchair. Filed next to him, an increasing collection of pencil paintings – the Telugu film industry, actors and actresses of politicians and actresses – each were provided with remarkable accuracy.
Stress with health issues
Sketch by Swetha Eepuri … Prabhas, NTR and Sai Pallavi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In Nalgonda district, Telangana, Swetha, a native of Vellki village used to dream of becoming a doctor once, but his family faced his health concerns. “I was weak as a child and faced a steady decline. We went to the hospital from the hospital, but could not identify the situation,” she remembers.
Sketching celebrities
Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna Akini, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Balakrishna, Vijay Devarakonda, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Rashmika Mandanna, Ansakha Shetty, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.
In 2005, Muscular Dystrophy was diagnosed, Swetha along with her family moved to Hyderabad for her intermediate education, but her health continued to decline. “Earlier it often fell, but over time muscle weakness deteriorated, affecting my strength. It became difficult to climb the stairs,” she says.
Efforts with art
Sweta Empi | Photo Credit: Special Assignment
With a deteriorating situation, it became difficult to do even basic functions and stopped education after B Pharmacy. Limited to the house, his life was taken to a chair and a wheel chair was required for any mobility. During this difficult phase, Sveta sketch a lonely girl looking out of a window to express her feelings. “I had no knowledge of art, but I sketched to show how I felt,” she remembers. Sharing drawing with friends raised his souls and gave him a new meaning. “I even wondered that I could manage a decent sketch in my first attempt,” she combines with a smile.
YouTube soon became his class, learning her to work with shading, layering, outline and skin tone and light. In 2015, he posted his first celebrity sketch on X (East Twitter) – actor Prabhas’s during its release Bahubali: The Beginning – And appreciation, even from strangers, was a huge morale. “I made mistakes with eyes and nose, but the encouragement pushed me to continue,” she says.
Actors like Manchu Manoj and Sai Dharam Tej later liked their sketches on X, attracted the attention of fan clubs and widen their reach. Working only with her thumb and index finger, Swetha uses charcoal and graphite for her paintings. She likes sketching celebrities and often posts with film release or milestone – for her recent sketch Mahavatar Narasimha Viewed X and 700,000 times at 207,000 on Instagram.
Sketch by Sveta Empuri … MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli | Photo Credit: Special Assignment
Through this eight -year journey, his biggest support has been his father, Krishnaiah, a weaver, his mother, a housewife, a housewife and his brother, Ramesh. Sveta said, “I don’t want people to like me or my art because of my limits. So I never post my situation. I want my job to speak for me and motivate anyone, who doubts his abilities.”
Published – September 11, 2025 11:41 am IST
