Bahrain's ‘Golden Man’ Ashok Shetty passes away

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

Ashok Shetty, a well-known figure in Bahrain and longtime resident, who left the Kingdom after 42 years in 2019, passed away in India following a long battle with illness.

Known locally as "Creative Shetty' or "Golden Man” - as fondly called by his friends in the Kingdom for his unique passion for sporting golden accessories, Mr Shetty was the founder of the Creative Advertising and Promotion Co Wll in Bahrain.

He was famously known for the painting of the late Amir of Bahrain, HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, when he was at an agency that undertook National Day billboards. During an earlier interview with The Daily Tribune, Mr Shetty said, "I created the portrait in December 1992 and it was dubbed the largest painting made.

Due to the windy weather, the portrait wasn’t displayed outdoors. Instead, it was displayed at the Exhibition Centre." Among his many honourable moments, Mr Shetty considers his role as a citizen of India at the Indian events in Bahrain as one of his proudest.

Mr Shetty was left paralysed following a high sugar level during one of his visits to India in June 2018, following which it took six months to get back on his feet again. Following that incident, Shetty agreed to retire and remain in India for treatment alongside his son Abhishek Shetty and his wife Vandana Ashok Shetty Shetty.