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Mein Sone Da!

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By Anushka Singh

"Mera life ka dream hai ye," says S K Golden Boy as he calls himself. It was from the age of eleven that the 19-year-old Kamal Singh would practice standing still while striking a pose at Rajasthan's Kishangarh. It was a chance viewing of a show on his mobile that drove Kamal to a life-long pursuit of a chore he pursued as an art. 

IN PURSUIT: S K Golden Boy strikes a pose at Gateway of India with dream in his eyes
After four years of working at Gujarat's Statue of Unity, Haridwar and Mumbai's streets, S K Golden Boy is back in Mumbai where he plans to stay for good. He earns anywhere between Rs 500 - Rs 1,000 in a day while posing at Oval Maidan, Gateway of India and other places of tourist interest. And yes, there've been times when the police have approached him with curiosity but after understanding his 'art' moved on. 

Haivng lost his father to a road accident, it's his mother Sunita Singh who he lives for today. A catastrophe in Mumbai a while back led to S K Golden Boy losing his golden clothes, golden jacket and a gold-painted box that he feels the thief must have mistaken for being of 'real gold', even as he recalls with mirth. 
So, the next time you see a boy in gold standing without shaking like a statue, put in a few bucks in his pocket. After all, it's an art he is pursuing and a calling that must fetch him his daily meals, besides, the usual curiosity followed by selfies and accolades. 

Back at Times Square or in Las Vegas, if you took a selfie with or a picture of a performer standing still, you'd have to pay up a mandatory tip or face the choicest expletives. "India mein koi artist ki kadar hi nahin karta...usko time lagega," says S K Golden Boy. But it's just a matter of time before he strikes gold!

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