After two years of delay and spending Rs 9 lakh extra, the legendary actor's 13-feet brass statue is finally ready. MiD DAY takes a sneak peek of the spectacle
After two years of delay and spending Rs 9 lakh extra, the legendary actor's 13-feet brass statue is finally ready. MiD DAY takes a sneak peek of the spectacle
PETTING a pigeon perched on his arm exactly the way he did in his 1970 blockbuster Kasturi Nivasa, Kannada film legend Rajkumar is finally ready to stand tall. Really, really tall: all 13 feet and 2,000 kg of glistening brass for ye faithful to gawk at. It is the tallest Rajkumar statue ever.
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Today, the state government will decide the appointed time of unveiling the statue. An appointed space at the small park in Town Hall awaits the great man's arrival.
With Rajkumar's family approving the statue, the state will finalise the date of installation on Thursday, said minister in-charge of Bangalore R Ashok.
"The statue will be unveiled very shortly as the work is complete," Ashok told MiD DAY. "The date will be finalised tomorrow after a meeting with Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) officials."
The sculptor, Nagraj Achar, told MiD DAY on Wednesday that the government would make him wait very long for payment. He even ran into debt while creating his favourite actor's statue commissioned by the BBMP.
"We couldn't meet the 2007 deadline to complete work as payments weren't made as assured. Though an instalment of Rs 2.6 lakh was assured at each of five stages, I was paid my first instalment after two stages," said Achar.
"Besides, prices had gone up after a year of us entering into an agreement. I had to stop work till I got an assurance from concerned officials." The state government had announced installation of Rajkumar's statue as a tribute after his demise on April 12, 2006.
Vijaynagar-based Achar bagged the contract. A 12-month deadline was set. The state wanted to unveil the statue on November 1, 2007.
However, the statue that was supposed to be made with 1,000 kg of brass would later need 2,000 kg of the metal after modifications proposed by officials.
Rising costs
With rise in iron and brass costs, Nagraj had to spend over Rs 9 lakh on his own by taking a loan. Brass that cost about Rs 160 per kg at the time of the agreement had shot up to Rs 300 by the time work began.
But with officials' assuring to repay the extra amount the sculptor has spent, the statue has reached its final stage.
"I am happy," said 30-year-old Achar. "It just needs a final touchup and will be shifted from my Yakodganahalli workshop once the date to unveil it is finalised."
The movie moment
The statue freezes in metal Rajkumar's character in his 1970 blockbuster Kasturi Nivasa in which the superstar played a widower millionaire who loses everything because of his generosity.
Almost throughout the movie, the actor wore a black suit and carried around the pigeon on his arm.
Heavy-metal man
>>Nagraj Achar is a hardcore fan of Rajkumar and is settled in Bangalore. His native place is Cholanayakanahalli near Magadi, about 50 km from Bangalore.
>>He started his career at 17. Training under city-based sculptor Veerachar, Nagraj specialised in sculpting deities.
>>His works includes facemasks at the Tirumala Tirupathi Temple and other prominent temples in Bangalore. Rajkumar's statue is the first cine star's statue he has created.
>>The sculptor has received orders for other works that includes a statue of renowned theatre actor Gubbi Veeranna.
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