For 34-year-old Satish Kumar, cycling is not about making a statement, it is about coming out of depression following a pursuit of love which went awry. Employed with IISc in the administration department, Satish has decked up his cycle with many key chains and other decorative items and dresses up in a yellow t-shirt and a decorated cap. Cycling from Ulsoor to his office in Tata Institute without holding the handle, he instead holds a trishul of lord Murugan, a mace of lord Hanuman as well as a bow and arrow, a flute and a toy gun.
"I was in love with the girl next door but their family did not agree to my proposal and even the girl did not wish to cross the line. I slowly started losing my hair and at one point, I felt helpless. Loneliness was troubling me and I realised that the only way I could get out of this is by spreading happiness among others," he says.
It was in April this year that he started dressing up before leaving for office. "I wanted to smile and so I started entertaining kids on the road by standing, dancing and even sleeping on the cycle. When children laugh at me, I feel happy. I feel that I am spreading laughter and the word of goodness everywhere," he says.
People did not accept the sudden change in him. But now, even his office encourages him. "This act is only when I am cycling. I want to represent Shaktimaan and He-Man in real life. As I get inside the office, I am normal like others," he says.