SALEM : After a long spell of inactivity, Varadharajan’s studio at Selliyampalayam in Attur smells of wet cement and emulsion paint.
Displaying dexterity, workers strive hard to give life to the cement-molded statues. They are not into making statues of leaders they had been making regularly, but they are on an entirely new assignment. As they complete one coat of paint, our doubts no longer linger. They are statues of the late AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa.
In Tamil Nadu, where the statue culture has become the symbolic expression of mass mania for political leaders, people like Varadharajan have enjoyed a sellers-market for long. Statues of Annadurai and Ambedkar lead the list in terms of demand, followed by Mahatma Gandhi, MGR and Indira Gandhi. Nearly 200 MGR statues made in his studio are installed in many places across the State.
No wonder he is the most sought after by the AIADMK. But, with a slew of court orders in recent years against installation of statues, things have never been the same. Varadharajan’s studio in particular, has had a low turnover in the last few years.
But with new orders for statues of Jayalalithaa swelling, he summoned his loyal workers back. At present, seven statues are nearing completion, while several more are in the making. So far, orders have been placed from Gudiyattam, Manaparrai, Kumbakonam and Krishnagiri. The first one has been installed at Thirukkanur in Puducherry, ordered by a businessman.