Soap bar to splendour

Twenty-three-year-old Devrup Chattopadhyay has an unusual fascination with soap. He uses it as the medium to showcase his talent for carving. While Devrup spends his days poring over books on dental medicine, his nights are devoted to his hobby — fashioning mythological characters out of soap.

It all began when, as part of his second-year curriculum at SJM Dental College and Hospital in Chitradurga, Karnataka, Devrup started dental carving on wax.

“I got bored doing the same thing repeatedly” he recalls. One night, unable to sleep, he began chipping away at a piece of wax with his dental carver. Before the night was out, he had carved a Ganesh. Since then, he has carved a Leaning Tower of Pisa and several Ganesh figurines.

His favourite is a cave temple, with steps leading to an inner chamber. How long does it take to create something as intricate? “Up to five hours,” he says.

All his creations are finished in a single sitting. His greatest fear is the eventual decay of his works. Soaps that are too soft lose their sharp edges on being exposed.

His latest works are a rendition of Durga and a depiction of old and new Calcutta, where he has outlined the snaky alleys of the old city against the highrises of the new. “It is my way of showing my love for my city,” he smiles.

Romila Saha

(Picture by the author)