Meet the Sculptor Who Designed the Statue of Unity

Meet the 93-year-old Indian sculptor behind the world’s tallest statue.

Ram Sutar: Sculptor Behind The Statue of Unity

(Photo: The Quint)

Cameraman: Abhishek Ranjan
Creative Producer: Puneet Bhatia

182 metres tall.

1,700 tonnes of bronze.

18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel.

6,500 tonnes of structured steel.

Rs 2,989 crore.

3,000 workers.

4 years in the making.

Everything about the Statue of Unity in Gujarat is big. It’s all about mind-boggling numbers. But ultimately, the world’s largest statue is the vision of one man – 93-year-old Ram V Sutar.

His son Anil Sutar, who is a sculptor and architect, has also played a key role in designing the statue with his dad.

Ram and Anil Sutar: Men behind the Statue of Unity.(Photo: The Quint)

Ram Sutar is known for his larger-than-life statues. Before the Statue of Unity, Ram's tallest creation was a 45-foot tall symbolic monument of a mother with two children at the Gandhi Sagar Dam.

A graduate from JJ School of Arts, Ram started out with the Archaeological Survey of India, working in the famous Ellora caves. He eventually started a sculpting business of his own.

And he has a thing for Mahatma Gandhi statues.

“I actively participated in the Swadeshi movement with Gandhi. That’s why my favourite creation is the 16-foot statue of Gandhi in the Parliament of India. In fact, Gandhi statues and busts designed by me are installed in 350 cities across the world.”

Ram Vanji Sutar, Sculptor

Ram Sutar in his Noida studio.(Photo: The Quint)

Masters of massive statues and their bronze casting – for this father-son duo, the bigger the statue, the more exciting it gets. For the Statue of Unity, the duo had to travel often to China to ensure that the sculpting and casting were accurate. After all, the biggest statue in the world is about the smallest details.

“We worked for hours until we were satisfied with the work. From toenail to dhoti to facial muscles, every small detail has been paid attention to.”

Anil Sutar, Sculptor

Ram Sutar working on a Rajendra Prasad statue.(Photo: The Quint)

Even at 93, Ram Sutar works 8 hours a day in his workshop in Noida. After the Statue of Unity, he has been busy working on his next big venture – the humungous 413-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial Statue in Mumbai.

Ram Sutar’s motto in life is to always love your work.(Photo: The Quint)