The old curiosity shop
K. PRADEEP
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K.K. Vayyavuri Mannadiar who owns an antique shop in Palakkad supplies many of the props required for films in Tamil and Malayalam.
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... every time someone tells me there is something rare waiting to be sold, I beg or borrow money to buy it.
Photo: Mahesh Harilal
THE COLLECTOR: K.K. Vayyavuri Mannadiar at his shop in Kannadi, near Palakkad, which stocks and sells antiques.
Huge bronze figures, old wooden furniture, coins, Tanjore paintings, ancient iron safes and sculptures, big and small, in clay, wood and bronze jostle for space with thousands of priceless artefacts at Mannadiar's shop at Kannadi, near Palakkad.
Browsing around is like rummaging through the recent history of films. Among the antiques are recognisable props from Malayalam and Tamil blockbusters. Carved pillars, furniture pieces, life-size sculptures, wooden carvings and many more that one must have seen in many films are on sale here.
Movie props
An avid and one of the foremost collectors of antiques in Kerala, K.K. Vayyavuri Mannadiar began lending some of his pieces for films only after he had settled down in business. And this took him more than 35 years.
"It was for Appachan's `Padayottam' (1982) that I was first approached to supply antiques. Since then producers, directors and art directors have approached me for different kinds of properties. We supplied properties for films such as `1921,' `Narasimham,' `Ravana Prabhu,' `Paradesi,' `Rajamanickam,' `Pattalam,''Prajapathi,' `Thommanum Makkalum,' `Devasuram,' `Dada Sahib,' Aakashaganga,' `Kalyanasougandigam,'... . We list the items that are taken after they pay the rent and deposit. We check to see if there is anything missing or if there is any damage when they return the pieces. However, most pieces are bought on location. Stars like Mohanlal have an eye for antiques. Mammootty too has picked a piece or two," says Mannadiar.
With one of Kerala's oldest and largest antique collections he has found takers from Bollywood too.
"We travelled with some of our antiques to Mumbai for Shahrukh Khan's `Ashoka.' I took them by train, stayed there for around two weeks, and came back with the props," says V. Kuttappan, the son who has joined his father in the business.
For many in the film industry Mannadiar's shop helps them save time and effort on many tight filming schedules. The variety and quality of the artefacts are unrivalled and the professionalism inspiring.
No formal training
With no formal training or help from his family, Mannadiar plunged into this business by chance. He began by buying and selling iron scrap till he managed to get an antique wooden panel during an auction. A Kozhikode-based collector bought the panel for a good price and this made Mannadiar think about taking the profession seriously. "In the beginning I used to go around and pick up whatever I could, put them on my bicycle and dump them at my house. Those were days when Nair and Namboodiri `tharavads' had a lot of old stuff that they discarded. I did not know how to value them but always had a passion for such objects. The collection began growing but I did not know how to sell them."
His association with the late Lawrence, a professional art dealer, helped change his perspective. "I first met Lawrence at a weekly auction. Kuthiravattom Kota, near Koduvayur, was being demolished and auctioned. It went on for weeks. It was through Lawrence that I got my first bulk order. Those days there were just two antique shops. Both were situated on Jews Street, Kochi, and Lawrence had a stake in both. I would supply goods to these shops, gradually learning the trade. For me this was growing into a passion."
Soon, Mannadiar started his own handicrafts shop, filling it with his burgeoning collection of bronzes and other artefacts that he began to acquire during his regular travels to neighbouring States. Sometimes, to meet specific requests from art directors for a particular film or other collectors he travelled lengths in search of antiques.
A loyal team of staff members takes care of the restoration of pieces, which range from an ancient printing press to vintage cars and invaluable works of art.
"I don't throw away anything," is Mannadiar's policy. So you have a collection of pens, yellowed promissory notes, gold and silver coins of the ancient Roman Empire, quaint clocks and so on.
"I keep repaying my bank loans, but every time someone tells me there is something rare waiting to be sold, I beg or borrow money to buy it. More than a business, this has become an integral part of my life," the avid collector says even as he instructs his staff to pull down the shutters for the day.
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