Thiruvananthapuram: As celebrities from across the globe leave Thiruvananthapuram carrying the awards they received at the International Film Festival of Kerala, Padma Kumar is secretly rejoicing. The sculptor based at Karamana is the man behind the signature statuettes presented by the Kerala Chalachitra Academy along with the cash awards.
Padma Kumar, a former sculpting trainer at the Fine Arts College in Thiruvananthapuram, has been molding statuettes for the academy since the inception of the IFFK. He also sculpts the beautiful mementos presented along with the state film awards, state television awards, state drama awards and other prestigious honors such as the Ezhuthachan award.
Padma Kumar has made 170 mementos for the IFFK this year, including the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant), Silver Crow Pheasant and the Lifetime Achievement Award. He uses brass, bronze and acrylic to mold the sculptures and reliefs.
Padma Kumar inherited the craft from his father. He said a team of six craftsmen toiled round the clock for a month to get all the mementos ready in time for the film festival. Every year, the academy issues fresh directions regarding the specifications of the statuettes.
The sculptor, however, has never watched his creations being given away to the celebrities. He was too busy sculpting to attend a film festival.
