Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Jul 9: Multi-faceted talented artiste Mithun Nayak Handadi makes dummy of Yakshagana artistes. He can act as a Yakshagana artiste himself, do costume designing, paint Yakshagana art and can carve the image of his favourite artistes in fibre or rubber.

Mithun is enormously talented in making the painting of an artiste during the performance. His concentration, natural talent and intelligence stun the viewers. In his art, naturality can be seen.

Mithun is an expert in a tableau of Yakshagana and the making of dolls. It is not easy to create a tableau. It requires deep experience and skills. It is the penance of patience. Hundreds of memoirs and tableaus prepared by Mithun have increased the beauty of interiors of eminent people. 

Yaksharatna Handady Balakrishna Nayak is a renowned and familiar name in the field of Yakshaloka. When we think of costumes for Yakshagana, the name of Babanna Balu Naika comes to our mind. Mithun is the second son of Balakrishna Nayak and Savitha couple. He was born in Brahmavar in 1989 and was brought up in the Yakshagana field itself. Mithun got his pre-university education in Brahmavar government PU college. He was taught the art of Yakshagana by Bannanje Sanjeeva Suvarna, Sathisha Kedlaya, Devadas Rao, Krishnamurthy Bhat, Prasadkumar Mogebettu, and Manjunatha Kulal at the Udupi Yakshagana Kendra.

Mithun learnt the art of preparing costumes and face painting in Sri Gajanana Yakshagana costumes company owned by his father. He is a very good dancer and an excellent actor who has mastered both male and female roles. If he decides to face paint, the outcome has always been marvellous. 

Mithun, who has modest nature, has attracted the limelight being a dance teacher, director of stage plays and unveiler of new experiments. If he puts on the costume of a tiger he seems like a real tiger. His strong steps are spellbinding.

Mithun’s talent is already known in places like Delhi, Nepal, Mizoram, Sikkim, Assam, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai and Kolkata. He has even been to Singapore. He has been bestowed with the title ‘Yaksha Manikya’ by the Sanchalana organization.