What PM Modi Wanted Changed About His Mother's Sculpture, Reveals Sculptor Naresh Kumar

For Gurugram-based sculptor Naresh Kumar Kumawat who is also the Director of Matu Ram Art Centres, one of his most memorable works has been creating sculptures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parents.

What started as a deeply personal tribute, soon became a work that the Prime Minister himself embraced and continues to keep close.

How The Idea For The Sculpture Came To Naresh

Naresh recalls that the idea first came to him in 2022, when Heeraben Modi, the Prime Minister's mother, died.

"I had some images and pictures of her. I met her once in Gandhinagar. Then I sculpted it on my own and I presented it to the Prime Minister and kept it in his room," Naresh shares with NDTV.

The Prime Minister's reaction, he remembers, was one of warmth and attention to detail.

"He loved it and not only that, he asked me to reduce the length of the sari. Then I was asked to make his father's sculpture too," Naresh explains.

The feedback was not just acknowledgement, but an indication of how closely PM Modi connected with the tribute.

Working With The Prime Minister's Brother

For Naresh, this was the first time he had created a sculpture for the Prime Minister's family. The process of making also brought him in touch with Modi's brother, Pankaj Modi, who had visited his studio.

"It was a good experience working with the Prime Minister's brother," he says.

Sculpting is often seen as public art, statues of leaders, saints, or deities placed in public squares, temples, and institutions. But this particular work was private, personal, and emotional.

He further revealed that the Prime Minister chose to keep the sculptures in his own house (Naresh kept one for his office too).

In a career filled with larger-than-life commissions, from towering statues in India to temple installations in Canada, Naresh Kumar counts this as one of his most meaningful works.