Pittala dora

పిట్టల దొర (piTTala dora) is a Telugu phrase, which stands for a hunter-like clown. This guy has none of the characteristics or antecedents of a hunter except the dress he wears and the gun he wields. The dress is full with the cowboy hat. The gun sometimes is a wooden dummy. Even if it were a real gun, it is so elementary that at the most he can "hunt" dead birds with it. piTTala means, 'of birds.' dora means, 'the respected man.' dora is used to describe the British officers of India's colonial past. The phrase piTTala dora is a mockery of the British officers but actually represents the poverty and travails of the subjects of those officers. May be, it actually mocks the then British officers and their tall claims.

Well, the dora also doesn't claim any hunting accolades. Only, he claims much bigger achievements. His language is very funny and the experiences he relates are highly lofty, thereby evoking mirth, laughter and hilarity among the onlookers. After a few minutes of such a "show" he extends either a begging bag or his hat into which the householders drop their alms. The dora moves on to the next household while the giggling children follow.

An example of a typical pittala-dora's claim: "Just as I finished breakfast with the prime minister of Japan I was called by Queen of Great Briton. I told her to call later but she persisted. She was not too OK with Obama's appointment as the President of the US and wanted to discuss the matter with me. I told why not with my deputy, the PM of UK instead.. though he may be much shorter in maturity than I in such international matters. Well.. I heeded to her and reached London for lunch. Called on Bush and Obama and suggested that both of them gave way for Arnold the guvnor of Calif. I left them to discuss the matter and returned home as it is Sankranti here." The content, tempo and intonation are usually much funnier than this. And then he extends the ragged begging bag or his tattered hat.

In Andhra Pradesh, it is common to call people of too small stature claiming too big things as pittala-dora-s. People who show-off too much are also called pittala-dora.

The last I saw a pittala dora was last year when I was in Machilipatnam for Sankranti. In bigger cities we don't see such 'native' Sankranti features. There was a movie in Telugu about the lives of pittala-dora's . Ali (the comedian) played the lead role as a pittala-dora and PL Narayana as his father (also a pittala-dora.) Both did a great job though I am not sure if the film was a great commercial success.

Well.. this year, I could not go to my in-laws house for Sankranti. But, I didn't miss many of the festivities, pittala-dora for one.

No.. I didn't see a pittala-dora on Bangalore streets. I read a news report about one.

Dr. Rajasekhar, the "hero" of some movies in Telugu has created a flutter some days before Chiranjeevi announced his political entry. He uttered something like Chiranjeevi doesn't have political experience. And he was followed by angry fans of the mega-star all the way from somewhere in coastal Andhra Pradesh to his home in Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi himself visited Dr. Rajasekhar's house (while the Dr. and his wife were away at a police station to complain about the attacking mega-fans) and silenced many people observing the fiasco.

When the Dr. said that he will enter politics if people wished, many including me brushed it away. Later, he again said that he will contest against Chiranjeevi if the "party" insisted. (He joined the Congress Party some time after the 'fan-following' incident.) More recently - just days before Sankranti - he said that defeating Chiranjeevi was his sole aim.

The mega-star fans and people like me are just watching the fun.