A Grade 10 student laughed too much, was caned by the principal and suspended from school for a week for doing so, but went on to become a clown for life. This is the story of Martin ‘Flubber’ D’Souza from Mumbai, and the story behind why Forum Vijaya Mall reverberated with wacky music and laughter from a performance by a comic class of clowns, last weekend. Today, 45-year-old Martin is regional director of the World Clown Association for West Asia and the Middle East, and sends clowns from all over the world to India for the International Clown Festival he directs.
In the festival’s third edition, this was the first time their clowning reached outside of home base Mumbai to other major cities like Chennai, Mangalore, Hyderabad and Bangalore. And they were not just clowning about. They were recruiting joeys and junior joeys to join the profession. Five from Chennai participated in the full-day book-in entertainment skills workshop held at the Asha Nivas Social Service Centre.
“I own an entertainment company in Mumbai and, at any given time, I need over 300 clowns a month, and there were none. That’s the demand for entertainment from clowns. They are seen at parties, corporate events, conferences, product launches, everywhere!” says the usually waggish Flubber, now sounding sober and businesslike, very much the Director of Light House Entertainment. “Since clowning as a profession is not quite happening in India, I continue to invite clowns from overseas to come, show and educate people that clowning is serious business.” Most are like-minded clowns he met when he was on a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s clown camp 10 years ago. He describes his troupe as “living cartoon characters”. And indeed, there was never a dull moment at Forum Mall. Shoppers were treated to a breathless line-up, with clowns bouncing off at every corner in strikingly bright jumpers, psychedelic wigs, oversized shoes and loud badges, and even brighter voices, ridiculous expressions and personalities to match. For two full days, there were white-faced clowns wearing a stylised smile and dainty look, as well as the characteristically silly and clumsy Auguste clowns with their big masks, merrily gambolling to popular tunes such as “Ha Ha Ha He He He Ho Ho Ho”, “Hot Potato” and “Toe Knee Chest Nut" on stage, pulling out tricks from their pockets to entertain grocery shoppers and diners.
One walked into a pillar, startling a security guard, and then pointed at him, breaking into hysterical laughter. One reached out for a cookie at one of the shops and smacked herself with the other hand before she got hold of it. One pretended to wipe the glass of a shop front to attract the attention of a child inside, and then quickly mimed a short skit. It is hard to believe that behind all the face paint and spontaneity, were people in their late forties and fifties.
