Mr. Kartikka Masala (Kartik Pejavara)

Watch out, East! This one’s spicy — Kartik Pejavara (‘20), or Mr. Kartikka Masala, will be taking the (virtual) Mr. East stage at the 33rd annual pageant and the first ever to be held online.

Pejavara has made quite the name for himself among the senior class, having been elected Class President last year. At Mr. East, he will attempt to stand out amongst a crowd of candidates with equally big personalities. He was drawn to Mr. East by the allure of a big audience, though he still holds excitement for it despite the subtraction of a live, in-person audience.

Pejavara says many people claim they came up with his stage name, but ultimately he credits it to Aditi Doiphode (‘20).

“That one that made me laugh the most, and I thought it was representative of me and my culture,” said Pejavara.

Pejavara stands out from the rest of the candidates in that his chosen occupation, Jedi Master, is the only one that exists solely in the world of fiction – though he would disagree with that characterisation.

“I just have a love for Star Wars and I believe that the Force truly is within me…I think I was born to be a Jedi Master, and Mr. East is a great way to showcase my talent as one,” said Pejavara.

When asked about his biggest competition, Pejavara named Justin Shapiro (‘20), or Mr. Just What You Need.

“I know him and he just surprises me with these random talents out of nowhere, and he’s really good at everything he does, and he’s a really funny guy,” he said of Shapiro.

Though he nixed his initial act, performing to the BeeGees’s “Stayin’ Alive,” Pejavara believes he has a winning act.

“What I have now is a combination of multiple talents of mine…I have many things that I want to showcase.”

Whatever his act ends up as, Mr. Kartikka Masala’s will certainly not be a missable performance.