Sculpture by Unni Kanayi to be presented to Mammootty on Kalolsavam stage

Kollam: Sculptor Unni Kanayi received an unexpected phone call from Kerala education minister V Sivankutty a few days ago. The minister asked Unni to make a sculpture of prominent Malayalam actor Mammootty, for gifting it to the mesmerising actor as a guest memento at the closing ceremony of the 62nd Kerala School Kalolsavam which is scheduled to be held today evening. 

Initially, Unni was a bit reluctant to take up the offer. He was nervous. Preparing the sculpture in a limited time was a huge task. But he eventually said ‘yes’ to the minister.

The next challenge was to decide on how the sculpture should look; i.e., regarding the image that shall be used as a reference. After skimming through several iconic characters brought to life on the big screen by the legendary actor, Unni finally zeroed in on the character of ‘Kadakkan Chandran’ played by Mammootty in the 2021-released Malayalam movie ‘One’. Mammootty essays the role of Kerala CM in this movie. The 16-inch long sculptor was prepared in a total of three days, it was given a bronze shade as well. 

The sculptor will be presented to the actor by minister Sivankutty on stage during the closing ceremony of the 62nd Kerala State School Kalolsavam.

Unni, hailing from Payyannur, is a member of the Lalithakala Akademi. His prominent works include the Eagle sculpture in Guruvayoor temple and the sculptural representation of the historic Parappuram meeting. 

Interestingly, Unni is a self-taught artist.