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| Sunil Kandallur, Wax Museum, Lonavala, Pune |
When the hay is perfectly dry, a mere spark is sufficient to set it aflame. To Sunil Kandallur, working as an artist in an advertising firm in Bangalore, such a spark came when he read the story of Madame Tussauds, the wax museum in London and elsewhere started by the Frenchwoman Marie Tussaud. He asked the next logical question: why can’t such a museum be started in India?
The outcome of the question was equally logical: he left the job and came back to his native land of Kayamkulam. He went to the marketplace and bought 2.5 kilos of wax and set down to work from scratch.
With no one to guide or anyone to clear the doubts, Sunil completed, by trial and error, the wax model of Sri Krishna.
The success of this modest model was the launch-pad for further work. When talent meets hard work, barriers are surmounted – one by one and one way or other.
Preparation of a wax model calls for meticulous effort combined with perfect patience. First one has to study the model, make measurements, prepare the figure in clay, make a mould of plaster and then pour molten wax into it. At this time, much attention has to be done for making the eyes life-like. Natural hair is used for the models and costumes are made as natural as possible.
Today, in Lonawala Hill Station near Pune, one can see 40 life-like wax models of celebrities in Sunil’s museum. These models include Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr.Ambedkar, Anna Hazare, Michael Jackson, Kapil Dev etc.
Sunil has plans to start a museum at Gateway of India, Mumbai as well as at Dubai and Kochi.
He is contented that the art that he loves has given him the fame and money as well as the opportunity to give employment to 25 persons in his Museum.
Courtesy: Madhu Thripperunthura (text), Suresh Payippad (photo), Mathrubhumi, June 22, 2014
