Sunil Kandalloor, India’s first and only artist of wax models Lonavala, Celebrity Wax Museum

Well Sunil is the first and the only artist to sculpt wax models in India, who has started his own wax museum without the support of the Government.

Every one of us would like to know why wax statues and not stone or other forms of sculpting was opted by Sunil? He said that he has seen different kinds of sculptures using different mediums! But those sculptures lack an original feel. Wax is very flexible and gets the exact complexion of human beings. And also hair fixing is possible in wax. Even though it gives too much strain to his eyes to implant original human hair in the wax models, he uses original human hair to get maximum perfection of the work. He implants each and every hair, in the wax model separately by one by one.

Is he trained in making wax statues? Or who is his guru? Well, he is a self taught wax model sculptor. He has diploma in fine arts from MADHAVA FINE ARTS COLLEGE in Kollam, Kerala. But it is for drawing, painting and designing only.  He has never learnt sculpturing! In India, no institution offers wax modeling course. So he does not have any Guru in Wax model sculpturing.

 When was it that he realized his passion for wax statues? Sunil said that he has been in this field for last 14 years. He got inspiration for making wax model from an article of a Malayalam weekly about famous wax museum, Madame Tussads, London. Later, he experimented several times to make wax models; finally he got the technique to make the wax model.

One question must have come to your mind that whether Sunil has been inclined towards fine arts right from his childhood? Sunil smiled at this and said that since his childhood he had talent in drawing and painting, so after his PUC, he joined Madhava Fine Arts College in Kollam for the diploma.

Sunil’s first wax model was of a bust size wax model of Lord Krishna and now it is being kept in the museum of very famous south Indian temple, Guruvayoor, in Kerala. First human figure in wax was of Late K , who was the chief minister of Kerala, who  himself was a good artist and when we approached him for taking his body measurements and photographs, he encouraged Sunil.

 The first wax museum was opened in Kanyakumari in association with Bay Watch amusement park on 24th December 2005, Sunil’s Celebrity Wax Museum, Lonavala, Pune was opened on March 31st 2010.

Sunil says that his ultimate and ideal destination for opening a wax model is Mumbai. But without governmental support, he is unable to open the wax museum in Mumbai as it is highly expensive; so he started a wax museum in Lonavala( Lonavala is a place which is lying between Mumbai and Pune and also it's one of the main tourist destinations in Maharashtra)

Sunil considers wax modeling as his passion as well as his profession. The work that he does needs lots of patients; and according to Sunil, without passion he cannot take it as a profession. This profession needs a lot of technical skill also, like fixing the hair, making the eyes just like human beings and also skin texture and exact complexion.  He also got invitation from Hollywood wax museum four years ago. But he never wanted to be an employee as it would have spoiled his freedom in his works. And also he dreams to establish an International wax museum in India.