Homework matters

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.

Book your santa 9699905990