Cast a spell

A frame with an impression of a baby's tiny feet at a friend's house in London fascinated Bhavna Jasra such that she stayed back to learn this art form. Today, she has done impressions for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Akshay and Twinkle Kumar, Sharad Pawar, Narendra Modi, Farah Khan, Rani Mukherji and Shilpa Shetty among others.

Bhavna Jasra with actress Shilpa Shetty

"My husband Gautam and I travelled to London for a short break when I was five months pregnant. I was mesmerised by this concept, and so I requested my friend to take me along to the studio where these masterpieces were made. After great persuasion of the artist I enrolled myself in her apprenticeship. The training was tiring as I had moved into my sixth month, and it wasn't the best time to be away from home.

But the joy of casting tiny toes and hands kept me going, and in a few months I was equipped with most nuances of this art form. I also arranged for vendors to supply the raw materials in India," says Jasra.

A feet impression created by Bhavna Jasrau00a0

The process of creating these pieces involves taking impressions of the hands and feet in a specialised mousse. The body part is immersed in the malleable mousse, which sets in seconds, leaving an impression. This is a highly skilled process since the final product will depend on the quality of the impression taken. The cast is prepared by baking the resin, which is poured into the impression, at various graded temperatures over a number of days.

The cast is polished and coated with specialised epoxies, which help the longevity. Finally, metallic finishes are done, and it is framed with pictures. The impression-taking process is quick, but the rest take a minimum of 10 days including the framing. Sometimes, extra demands and special requests, might take even longer.

Newborn concepts start at '20,000 (bronze finish) and gets higher depending on the finish, child's age, concept, frame and accessories. Adult concepts begin from '40,000 and gets higher according to specifications.

At Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Andheri (W); Call 65241555

Special Requests
"While making a couple clasp for a wedding, the groom's sister who was behind this concept (as a wedding gift) wanted to embellish the wrist of the bride in the cast with a real gold and diamond bracelet. She left no stone unturned in making her gift memorable, and grand too!" informs Jasra.u00a0