Mani Nagappa is an Indian sculptor who is known for creating statues of prominent personalities and political leaders of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

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Early life

Nagappa was born in 1925 in Madras, one of the five sons of well-known Indian sculptor M. S. Nagappa

M. S. Nagappa

Rao Bahadur M. S. Nagappa was an Indian sculptor who designed statues and monuments in British India. In 1935, Nagappa was appointed official sculptor to the British Crown by George V.- Early life :...

. M. S. Nagappa sculpted the statues of British governors, lawyers and administrators and was awarded a "Rao Bahadur

Rao Bahadur

Rao Bahadur was a title of honour issued in British India to individuals who had performed great service to the nation....

" title for his sculpture of George V

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....

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Mani Nagappa had his early education in Madras and was working as a choreographer in Tamil films when M. S. Nagappa's death in 1942, compelled him to take over his father's business. His first sculpture, a statue of Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar, was eventually approved, thereby giving a start to his career. Mani was the only son of M. S. Nagappa who took on sculpting as a profession.

Career

Nagappa has sculpted a total of 600 statues in his career. some of them being those of Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...

, Sivaji Ganesan

Sivaji Ganesan

Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...

, U. Muthuramalingam Thevar

U. Muthuramalingam Thevar

Ukkirapandi MuthuramalingaThevar , also known as Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar, was an Indian politician. He hailed from the Maravar community, the dominant warrior caste group in his home district in southern Tamil Nadu...

 and R. Venkataraman

R. Venkataraman

Ramaswamy Venkataraman was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union minister and as the eighth President of India....

. In the 1980s, he sculpted the statue of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at the Kathipara Junction

Kathipara junction

Kathipara Junction is an important road junction in Chennai, India. It is located at Alandur, , south of Guindy, at the intersection of the Grand Southern Trunk Road , Inner Ring Road, Anna Salai and the Mount-Poonamallee Road...

 in Guindy

Guindy

Guindy is one of the important neighbourhoods of Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the South-Western part of the city. It is the entry point or the gateway to Chennai city from the Southern parts of Tamil Nadu and the South Western suburbs of Chennai...

, Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

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In 1991, he sculpted a statue of the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar commissioned at the rate of Rs. 1.15 lakhs by the Bangalore Tamil Sangham. However, the unveiling of the statue at the Halasuru

Halasuru

Halasuru , formerly known as Ulsoor, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city of Bangalore. It is located in east Bangalore, and begins roughly near the eastern terminus of MG Road...

 Lake in Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

 was delayed by 18 years due to political issues. The statue was eventually unveiled on August 9, 2009 amidst controversy.

Other activities

Apart from sculpting, Mani Nagappa is also interested in collecting vintage and sports cars.

Family

Mani Nagappa's daughter Chitra is married to tennis player and film producer

Film producer

A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

 Ashok Amritraj

Ashok Amritraj

Ashok Amritraj is an Indian American film producer, former tour professional tennis player, and chairman of Hyde Park Entertainment.-Professional tennis:...

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