In the new normal, Father Christmas has gone digital. Three city-bred performers share what it’s like to play the role online
Pravin Tulpule
Homework matters
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For former Navy officer-turned-medical clown Pravin Tulpule, playing Santa is not just an annual costume change. Spreading cheer is serious work. So, Tulpule — who has been dressing up as Father Christmas since the ’90s — has been styling his beard silver for weeks now; he’s invested in different kinds of Santa Claus costumes including a Russian one, and in the new normal, the 61-year-old has also gone online to ensure the kids don’t miss him. The Kharghar resident, who has honed his skills for over 20 years, describes himself as a gentle, caring, sharing Santa, who believes in the magic of personal connect, which is difficult to establish online. “When I’m interacting with you online, I need to know a little bit about you. So, I ask the parent about their child, what they like to do, and their recent achievements. This is pre-show homework. I have also developed a new act for online shows,” he shares. Tulpule coordinates with parents to hide gifts around the house. “I tell the kids that there’s a gift for them made by my elves, and flip an empty present box at them [towards the camera]. And then I guide them to go find it, perhaps under their bed, under the Christmas tree and the like. They love it,” he reveals. While physical gigs have already restarted, this year, he’s been getting a lot of online corporate bookings, too. “I familiarise myself with a few different people from the group, their inside jokes, good developments and so on, and bank on these during the show,” he adds.
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Fun and games
Sanjay Balsavar
Sanjay Balsavar, who grew up in Tardeo and now lives in Bengaluru, uses the pseudonym Gigggles as a medical clown. He transforms into Santa Claus every year — a tradition he has been following since 2014. Since last year, he has been able to extend the blessings of Father Christmas across geographical borders, to children in Singapore and the UK, thanks to the online medium. A friendly, polyglot Santa Claus, who likes to be a child around kids, Balsavar has found a way to translate this playful experience online. “In the virtual medium, one must remember that kids don’t have a lot of patience. To engage them, I try to find out about them in advance.” He’s also devised a version of Housie based on Christmas objects. “It keeps them occupied and they learn more about the festival,” the 48-year-old points out.
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Keeping it real
Kevin Fernandes
Having been a passionate entertainer in his teens, essaying the role of Santa Claus as a professional was a natural choice for Kevin Fernandes, who runs Rising Balloon Events. Fernandes, who prides himself on being a jolly, gentle and chatty Santa Claus, tells us what kids and their adults look for in the character is a bit of magic, and the reassurance that he is real. Bringing that magic alive virtually is a different, if not difficult job. “How do you convince someone that the Santa Claus you’re seeing online is real? The fun and the interaction is not the same. We had to come up with ways to tackle curious kids’ questions, like ‘Santa, where are you?’ to which I say, ‘In the North Pole’,” adds the 35-year-old, who also conducts home visits while complying with Covid-19 protocols.
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