Sourav Mukherjee-
Love, they say, knows no bounds and, for the steadfast, even death cannot do them part. Kolkata’s Tapas Sandilya epitomizes eternal love. This retired government employee never stopped missing his wife, Indrani, after she passed away in May 2021, during the second wave of Covid. To once again feel the reassuring presence of his loving wife beside him, Sandilya has got a lifelike silicon statue made of her.
A few months after Indrani’s death, Tapas began his search on the internet for the right man for the job. In 2022 he located Subimal Das who owns Subi India, a Kolkata-based firm, that makes silicone replicas for museums. For Das, this was one of the most challenging projects: “To get a realistic facial expression was of utmost importance. Photographs given by Sandilya and his regular inputs helped us accomplish that. The clay model we made first then later became the foundation for the silicone casting.”
The 30 kg silicon replica of his wife made at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh is now seated on a sofa at Indrani’s favorite spot at their home on VIP Road in Kolkata. Sandilya grooms the statue spends time with and has adorned with gold jewelry that was Indrani’s favorite. He has clad the statue in a silk sari from Assam, which she wore at her son’s wedding reception.
Disregarding all the raised eyebrows, inquisitive neighbors, and naysayers, 65-year-old Sandilya – a retired employee of the Airport Authority of India – has chosen to find solace in his wife’s memorial. “We do keep photographs of our near and dear ones at our home, after their demise. Then what is wrong with a statue?” he asked.
For the man himself, the pain of losing his wife is still quite real, the statue is not a means to mitigate the pain of his loss. He says there is no way to lessen the grief and pain that he feels. “I can never forget the day. I was in isolation at home while Indrani was taken to a hospital in south Kolkata.” But the 30kg installation gives the feeling that “she is always with me”, he said.
While speaking to indica Sandilya got emotional whenever he spoke of his deceased wife. “It is difficult to verbalize what I feel. But the statue makes me feel she’s still with me. I find peace with her statue.”
But, all the talk, gossip, and attention on his decision to get his late wife’s statue made have not fazed Sandilya. Quite perplexed at the attention that he has drawn after getting his wife’s statue made, Sandilya says that his decision is a tribute to their undying love and fulfilling his wife’s heartfelt desire. He shared: “About 10 years ago we went to the Iskcon temple in Mayapur in West Bengal and saw a lifelike statue of the founder, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami. Indrani had quite suddenly said that if she happened to pass away before me, then a similar statue should be made. I just fulfilled her wish.”
In the making of the statue, which took close to six months, Sandilya had braved the pandemic to ably support the sculptor. He worked with Subimal to perfect Indrani’s facial expression. “We were together for 39 years and this is my tribute. Nothing less than perfection in this project would work for me,” Tapas said.
“When I started making a clay model as a precursor to the silicon statue, he used to visit our workshop every other day to give us his feedback and suggestions. Along with numerous photographs of his wife that he had given us, his feedback and assistance helped immensely in preparing a lifelike statue. I was moved and inspired by his commitment and passion,” Das told indica.
