KOCHI: Sunil Kumar is something of a ‘vehicle watcher’. Standing on the side of highways, he keenly observes the vehicles that pass by — KSRTC buses, tourist buses, lorries and cars. He even makes daily visits to the KSRTC bus stand to study the designs and quirks of each bus parked there. Then he goes home and recreates them.
“I didn’t even know that my models were called miniature vehicles or that people collect them. I started doing it out of interest. When people started calling and appreciating my work, I realised the importance of my work,” Sunil shares enthusiastically. The Thrissur-native’s video featuring his miniature vehicles recently went viral on Facebook, bringing many admirers to his doorstep wanting to buy them. Sunil is amused by the fact that his hobby has become a financial success during the lockdown.
Revisited hobby
Sunil was working as a goldsmith. But after the price of gold boomed in the last couple of years, the wages dropped and Sunil was out of work. He then became a construction worker. Even after a long, taxing day, Sunil would still find time for his hobby. For him, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise, giving him more time to work on his hobby.
Sunil used miniature vehicles for his children around ten years back. He went back to the hobby couple of years ago, thoughtfully picking materials this time so the models don’t get damaged soon. Each piece is carefully crafted to closely resemble the original — from the grills in the front to the seats inside. He also makes miniature houses.
THE METHOD
He generally uses quality foam papers, bike bearings from workshops and PVC pipes for making his models. To make grills he uses steel rods. His career as a goldsmith helps him, he says. For the headlights, he uses LED bulbs. Sunil buys waste parts from carpenters. The painting is done by hand.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Recently, he started selling miniatures to vehicle lovers all over the state. He has received hundreds of orders in the past three months. Most people want miniatures of their vehicles — lorry owners, bus owners and car lovers. Sunil also makes it a point to deliver each piece personally to the customer, no matter how far they live. “What if something gets damaged if I send it by courier? I make each piece with a lot of hard work. I can’t allow that,” he says. It takes Sunil around 15 days to finish a model. The price of each piece is determined by the materials used and the hours he spends on it. A miniature lorry or bus will cost you around J8,000 to J9,500, depending on the model.