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People visiting Mangaluru and other towns of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts during Navaratri might have witnessed troupes of youths performing ‘tiger dance’ in residential areas and shopping establishments.
Members of these troupes get their bodies painted and dance to the tunes of accompanying drummers. While some ‘tiger dance’ performers paint their faces along with their body, some others prefer to wear moulds of tiger’s face for a realistic look.
Moulding the face
U Anilkumar, a young graphic designer who works in a private company in Mangaluru, has turned his fascination for this dance form into a hobby. He has been preparing the tiger moulds for major troupes in the coastal Karnataka region for the last four years. He told BusinessLine that he was fascinated by ‘tiger dance’ as a kid, and that made him pursue this hobby. It takes four-five days to prepare a mould of tiger’s face. The time required will be more if the mask requires more detailing. Fibre glass, papier meche, oil paints and fur are the raw materials needed for the mould. Prices range from ₹10,000 to ₹30,000, depending on the materials used. He uses imported fur to prepare the moulds.
High demand
Stating that there has been good demand for these moulds, Anilkumar said he finds it difficult to meet the demand as it is a hobby for him. He prepared 28 moulds during this year’s festival season — including Srikrishna Janmashtami, Ganesha Chaturthi and Navaratri. ‘Tiger dance’ is performed during Janmashtami and Ganesha festivals also.
To a query on the craze among people for tiger’s face, he said many people approach him with requests to prepare mementos, and some want him to prepare wall hangings. He is also getting requests from Mangalureans settled abroad, he added. In fact, ‘tiger dance’ is not only limited to the coastal Karnataka. One of the main characters in the 2014 Kannada movie Ulidavaru Kandante (As Seen by Others) was a member of a tiger dance troupe. The movie directed by Rakshith Shetty received critical acclaim. The movie was remade as Richie in Tamil and Malayalam languages.
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