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Small figures, big ambitions
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Shambhu Nath Sharma's magic fingers sculpt Gods and men in tiniest forms, but recognition is still a far cry, finds out RANA SIDDIQUI.
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Small is beautiful...Shambhu Nath Sharma in New Delhi. Photo: Anu Pushkarna.
YOU CAN have the whole of Bihar in your fist if only your fist contains Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1.25 inches! Similarly you can pick up the figurines of President A.P.J. Abul Kalam, Atal Bihari Vapayee, Mahatam Gandhi, Shiela Dikshit, Ghulam Ali and others, if you happen to be sitting with this 29-year-old miniature artist from Jharkhand, Shambhu Nath Sharma. From his kitty that contains loads of marble and chalk powder, wood, wax, paper, stone, clay, lead and tiny razor instruments, which you will not find in the market as he makes them himself, are etched out minuscule sculptures; measuring from a bare 0.5 mm to as big as one feet! His smallest work is a child in marble and chalk powder and the biggest, well, Aishwarya Rai in wood!
When ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali saw himself as a half-an-inch replica at the Virasat Festival - 2004 recently held at Dehra Dun, at the stall of Shambhu Nath, he said, "Ye Ghulam Ali to mere sath Pakistan jayenge". The Uttaranchal Chief Minister, N. D. Tiwari, was no less amused to see his bulky self-sculpted in one inch and he promptly took it home.
Sharma's other novelties include a ring made as Sheshnag of half-an-inch on which child Krishna is seen playing, a grain of rice that contains up to 50 alphabets, a one-and-half inch woman with a swan which is an imitation of a five-and-a-half feet sculpture located at Madhav Rao Scindia Museum at Gwalior, a feat he achieved after he picked up the challenge from the museum authorities, and several such items.
Sharma developed interest in the hobby when his father once asked him to clean a clock, to divert his attention from playing. He thought if he could clean it why not arrange too? He was fascinated with the tiny equipments used in making a clock. He arranged the clock that pleased his father, who warned him, "don't work with such small instruments, you will spoil your eyes". But already bugged by tiny wonders, he began his journey of sculpting renowned faces and tales into marble, chalk, wood, wax, paper and stone.
No recognition
Never devoid of praises from all quarters though, Sharma laments, "When I applied to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2001-2002 on the basis of my 1.5 mm chalk and marble miniature (a child), I got no response. Similarly I applied to Limca Book of Records in 2002, but again in vain. Encouraged by friends I applied for National Award with my eight inches single wood sculpture depicting Rani Laxmi Bai and Khudi Ram Bose, but again I met with no success. When I went to Rabindra Bhawan, Jharkhand last year to get admission, with my one inch family of Shankar-Parvati-Ganesh and Sai Baba, the executive director Kamakhkya Banjerjee asked me get to out without even looking at my work," bemoans Sharma.
At every step, Sharma says he faced open hostilities and humiliation but it hasn't waned his spirit to continue with his passion. Some day he hopes, recognition will come to him and that will end his days of penury.
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