Kolkata's Unique Replica Workshop

In North Kolkata, near Dum Dum Junction, Subimal Das and his team of 80 operate Subi Creative House. This factory-warehouse specializes in creating lifelike replicas using diverse materials such as clay, fiberglass, and silicon.

Replicas of the Deceased: A Unique Service

While the workshop is known for religious icons, cultural figures, cricketers, and Bollywood stars, it has developed a distinctive service: custom-made replicas of deceased individuals.

Families commission these 30kg figures, often providing a photograph of their loved one, to be taken home several months later. Widows and widowers are frequently noted as clients for this particular service.

Cost, Purpose, and Craftsmanship

Each replica costs approximately 2.5 lakh ($2,760). These figures, often dressed in favorite outfits, are subsequently placed in the homes where the deceased once lived.

Das states that clients seek these creations to maintain a connection with their loved ones and to manage grief and loss.

To achieve profound realism, the figures are designed to be "hyper-realistic," notably incorporating real human hair in their creation.

Origin and Cultural Significance

Founded in 2013, the workshop initially focused on producing figures for festivals and events. Requests for replicas of the deceased saw a significant increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. This practice is deeply intertwined with a complex understanding of death, the afterlife, and memorialization within Hinduism.

In Hinduism, dying is often viewed as a temporary state before rebirth, making such forms of remembrance ("smaran") profoundly significant.

A Customer's Testimony

Tapas Sandilya commissioned a replica of his wife Indrani, who passed away from Covid in 2021, fulfilling a prior wish of hers. Sandilya reported that the model provides him with a sense of calm and "continued togetherness."

Beyond Personal Commissions

The workshop remains an active and dynamic space where workers constantly process various materials. Alongside individual commissions, Subi Creative House has produced numerous replicas of public figures. Their extensive portfolio includes 50 figures of Narendra Modi, cricket legend Virat Kohli, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa, Pelé, and Lionel Messi.