Sameer Patange may be a celebrated tattoo artist – among those who sport his designs include Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi, Kangana Ranaut, Ajay Devgun and Sanjay Dutt – but you don't see any ink on the visible parts of his own body.
“That doesn't mean I don't have tattoos on me. But I want to play it safe. I am keeping myself open for a corporate job,” smiles Sameer, who loves graphic designing and hopes to make a career out of it; and since he isn't a full-sleeves person, he's made sure all his tattoos remain hidden.
Sameer, 30, has been creating masterpieces on skin for the past 12 years; having started out with Dr J.A. Kohiyar, the pioneer of tattooing in India. “I was 18 when I started, at a time when tattooing in India was in its initial stages. Luckily for me, my parents supported me and I was able to pursue my dream,” says the Mumbai-based Sameer, who was in town for a tattoo fest at The Park.
He was visibly pleased and surprised by the response of the crowd to the fest. “People have become creative. I was very pleased with the designs and creations they came up with,” he says. Sameer says he prefers doing only those tattoos that people are very sure about.
“I once got a tattoo of a skull done – a skull held by two claws that are trying to rip it apart. When I got it done I didn't know why I did it. That is why, whenever I do anything on my clients, I usually ask them how sure they are about it,” he says.
Even as he aspires for a corporate job, Sameer divides his time between attending international tattoo expos and managing three tattoo studios. He and his crew have turned Kraayonz into a highly successful chain of tattoo studios.
“Dr. Kohiyar from whom I learnt the art of tattooing, wanted someone to take over Kraayonz after him, and I was more than pleased when he suggested that I take over,” he says.
Kraayonz, he says, has been certified by the Indian Medical Association for having met its health and hygiene requirements and become India's first IMA-approved tattoo studio.
