In the last few years, Christmas has proceeded from big to gigantic — pot-bellied gentlemen across the country don the crimson outfit at plazas, places, residential cultures and even airports. The grocery has grown so much that Santa rentals have ripened in all regions of the country. Namia Jasuja, who runs Delhi-based event company Order Happiness, has filled 33 Santas this year. The request, she says, is for English-speaking Santas who go to people’s homes to give their kids a catch. “We also send across a cloth envelope that says’ emergency transmission from the North Pole’. It’s terribly customised, so they talk about the ways in which the child has been delightful and how they can improve, like brushing their teeth at night, ” Jasuja says.So, who are these parties inside the Santa costume? Most of them are aspiring actors, singers, the peculiar magician, and college students who do it for some extra cash. Ravi Bhatt, co-founder of Rising Balloon, says they choose people who are good performers and don’t come out of character. “The most important thing is actually their hearts since that’s the only thing that’s visible under the costume. They have to be happy and be able to offset others happy.” Chief Santa at Rising Balloon is Kevin Fernandes who morphed from being a chubby teenage Santa into the co-founder of a company that quantities Father Christmas. “Santa had always been mystical to me, having grown up watching Christmas movies and I liked the whole experience, ” says the 33 -year-old who along with his crew of 15 Santas are all set to spread holiday cheer at kids’ and part gatherings across Mumbai.Jasuja says their costume comes pre-bellied, and skin colour is no bar since they have makeup creators on the payroll. “They have to have a good voice and be very extroverted, ” she says. Most too develop their Santas in delivering a hearty’ ho ho ho’ and interacting with kids.Co-ordinating the Santas isn’t all rises though. Jasuja says, “We have 7-8 parties contriving the superhighways on the backend. Each Santa has a car and move. We too face the wrath of the police, ” she says. “They want so many selfies! So we have extra chocolates and toffees for them.” Last year, they serviced about 16 -1 7 corporates and toured over 75 mansions across Delhi NCR.While there are an increasing number of fellowships rendering Santas, for others, it’s a one-man show. For the last decade, any particular gentlemen from Delhi has been donning the rather terrorizing persona. Committed to his character, he insists that he be referred to only as’ The Santa Claus of India, ’ rather than his figure. “It’s not as easy as it appears because you can’t be yourself as person or persons, you are Santa. It helps that I am a theatre party, ” he says. The Santa Claus of India has been working at Delhi’s Select CityWalk mall for the last four years. “Before me, they were only hiring Europeans, ” he says. The residue of its first year, he does affairs, mainly as an anchor.Amit Agarwal flows OckyPocky, a kids’ language memorize app, but come December, he gets in the Christmas spirit. His company offers visits from Santa even though it has nothing to do with their core business. “We promise a very personal experience for children. There’s a song and dance routine, we wreaking emblems and gifts, as well as a Christmas meal, make a video so their own families will cherish the moment forever.”And these personalized gloriou amazes don’t come cheap. OckyPocky’s Christmas package starts at Rs 5,000 and goes up to Rs 25,000, while Delhi-based Order Happiness indicts Rs 5,000. Fernandes says they pay about Rs 1,500 an occurrence, plus food and wander expenses.Since Santa can’t come too early , nor too late, the Santa business is a limited affair, lasting at most 10 days a year. But even when oddly-timed gigs come up, the ability to improvise is part of the job, The Santa Claus of India says. “Once I was accomplishing on the 15 th of December and someone asked me why I was here so early, ” he says, then sets on his pitch perfect Santa voice: “It’s snowing so much in the North pole that I had to come to India where it’s warmer.”Mangalore-based contest busines Observances hires university student for happenings and plaza appearings. They accuse between Rs 2,000 -2, 500 per Santa, and the students take anywhere between Rs 400 -8 00 based on performance. However, co-founder Sam Pinto is apprehensive that the downturn and prohibitory successions might derail some Christmas events.For the Santas themselves, while dealing with here the occasional snotty youngster with kindness can be a pain, it is a pleasurable suffer. Vinod has been a Santa with Jasuja’s company since 2013. He’s not an actor, but individual employees at a telecom company who just does the gig for the beloved of it, although he has admittedly constitutes not all that much. “When I started, I was truly striving in my professional life, but it left me with a positive feeling, that I was being able to spread joy.”

Read more: economictimes.indiatimes.com