Till death do us part: The grieving Indian husband has a £2,500 life-size silicone replica of his dead wife made… and says he enjoys combing her hair while she sits in her favorite spot on the sofa
- Retired civil servant Tapas Sandilya, 65, lost his wife Indrani amid Covid pandemic
- He commissioned a sculptor to create a life-size silicone statue of her
- The statue, which weighs 66 pounds, now sits on her sofa at Tapas’ home in Kolkata
An Indian pensioner who lost his 39-year-old wife to the Covid-19 pandemic has spent £2,500 (250,000 rupees) on a life-size replica doll made in her likeness.
Retired civil servant Tapas Sandilya, 65, commissioned a sculptor to create a silicone statue of his late partner Indrani, who died on May 4, 2021 at the age of 59.
She died alone in hospital as Tapas was forced to isolate at her home in Kolkata during the second Covid wave in India, which turned out to be far more devastating than the first.
But now Indrani’s likeness sits in her favorite spot on the sofa, decked out in a sari and gold jewelry, and her hair done by Tapas himself.
Retired civil servant Tapas Sandilya, 65 (left), commissioned a sculptor to create a silicone statue (right) of his late partner Indrani, who died on May 4, 2021 at the age of 59
Tapas sits next to the silicone statue of his late wife
Tapas told The Times of India that a few years ago he was visiting a Hindu temple with his late wife and the couple were amazed by a particularly lifelike statue of a religious figure.
He said Indrani joked that if she died before him, she would like to have a similar statue in her image.
While grieving in the months following Indrani’s death, Tapas returned to the same temple where his wife made the comment and was inspired to do so.
Indrani had told me of her desire for a similar statue of her if she died before me. I just wanted to grant her wish,” Tapas claimed.
Now the statue sits in Indrani’s favorite spot, arms crossed and a serene expression on her face. It wears an Assamese silk sari that Indrani wore to her son’s wedding reception.
Sculptor Subimal Das said it was particularly difficult to complete the sculpture of Indrani as he had never met her and could not make casts
Tapas said his family members opposed the idea but argued that having a statue in their likeness to remember them was not much different than people displaying photos of their deceased loved ones at home.
After months of deliberation, the former official sought out sculptor Subimal Das, who makes figures out of wax, fiberglass and silicon for public buildings and museums.
Das said the sculpture of Indrani was particularly difficult to complete because he had never met her, nor could he make casts.
Tapas and Das spent days creating a clay model of Indrani’s body before Das made a 3D image of the dead woman’s face.
“Nothing less than Indrani’s actual expression would do for me. After all, I lived with her for 39 years,” Tapas said.
This compiled several photos of Indrani, which helped ensure the statue’s expression was as lifelike as possible.