There is a statue of limitation, Samuel Goldwyn, the famous American film producer once quipped. Statues are also of course imitations.
Not this one apparently. The statue of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai is all set to be replaced. A new 8-ft-tall statue made of bronze and weighing 800 kg, is being readied for installation.
The reason: the existing one in the eyes of those in the social media seems to resemble just about everyone but her.
The subject of social media memes ever since it was unveiled on the birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa in February this year, the statue represents different people to different people.
Many a likeness
Some think it resembles K.B. Sundarambal and Vadivukkarasi, film actors of yesteryear. Others to former Minister B. Valarmathi.
Why, it has been even compared to Jayalalithaa’s former aide V.K. Sasikala. Even, P. Radha, the wife of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, has figured in the list.
On one thing there is agreement in the popular perception. This doesn’t resemble the person it seeks to – Jayalalithaa.
But never mind. On Tuesday morning, the new statue reached the party office in Royapettah here, after making a journey of over 750 km from Kothapeta in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
Seasoned sculptor
The AIADMK took no chances this time. It turned to a seasoned sculptor, D. Rajkumar Vudayar of Andhra Pradesh.
The 45-year-old third generation sculptor is no stranger to Tamil Nadu. It was he who did the statue of Telugu film actor, Sobhan Babu, which stands tall on busy Nelson Manickam Road and that of M.G. Ramachandran on the campus of MGR Education and Research Institute in Maduravoyal, on the outskirts of the city.
The decision to entrust the Jayalalithaa statue project was made by Mr. Palaniswami and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, M. Thambi Durai.
Mr. Vudayar, who is the Andhra Pradesh government’s official sculptor, told The Hindu it took four months to complete the project.
“My work would give you the impression of Amma [Jayalalithaa] who is a 55 year-old person,” he says, satisfied about his performance.
But like beauty, resemblance also lies in the eyes of the beholder.
