The Nine Year Itch

It's been thirteen years since my first on-stage appearance. It was during the first year of my college. After that there was no stopping. Made on-stage appearances for either to act or to sing around half a century times (no exaggeration, honestly!) during my four years of college life. After the college life there was a drought of such opportunities or I was too busy concentrating on the so-called career(!). Except for that one time Elvis act in Minneapolis there was nothing, literally.

Nine years after (my college final year) had an excellent opportunity to flaunt my acting skills. This time it was a bit different. I had on-stage for little time but almost three hours of off-stage but on-street facing the crowd performance.

Scottish Indian Art society celebrates important Indian festivals in Edinburgh. When they celebrated Dusshera this year I had the opportunity to perform the Ravan role from Ramayan. I had to undergo an hour and a half of make up to make me up as Ravan. Then I had to ride on a charriote from Edinburgh castle to Calton hill, an easy 2 miles distance via Royal Mile, acting Ravan, posing for the photos with strangers, followed by a small on-stage performance of Ravan's crucification at Calton Hill, 'I simply enjoyed it' would be too short a sentence to describe how much I enjoyed doing it.

Well, I must say that I had the medication for my nine years itch.

Click here to view more photos from the Dusshera parade published in local news paper Evening News.