The Circus Feats Of Life 

By AS Joel Kumar

Deputy Bureau Chief

Sakshi TV

In this age of speed and technology, multiple TV channels and multiplex theatres are competing with each other to entertain people. To capture people's imagination every week Friday film releases are there. Apart from these, the Internet is also entertaining people in several ways. It may be Youtube, Facebook and the recent Whatsapp ... people's minds are occupied by so many ways of entertainment.

Amidst all these, the age-old traditional way of entertainment, circus, has survived and is still making its presence felt. However, life is no longer a cakewalk for people in the profession. The circus men and women are having tough time in their struggle for survival.

Despite the boom in mass media, circus still come to cities and towns to entertain people without fail. Though people have several options for entertainment, circus industry in India is making sincere efforts to keep the show going despite all odds. Do people still like to watch circus? In India how circus industry is able survive? With ban on wild animals in circus, how can circus survive with artistes alone?

These are some of the questions on circus in the present scenario.

If one goes by the history of circus in India, it has started a century ago. First circus is said to be Kerala based Killeri circus. Now it is not there. Talleserry village of Kannur district in Kerala is said to be the circus village of India. This village has been producing circus artistes for many years. In our country there used to wild animals show in the past and that was a big attraction. But after the central government banned wild animals shows in India, circus is fighting a survival battle. Now there are only 12 registered circus companies in the country. There used to be many in the past.

A close look at one the oldest circus companies, Great Bombay Circus is continuing its innings despite all odds. They are running shows for the past 94 years. Now they are in Hyderabad near Bharatnagar flyover. Wherever they go the camp would be for 40 days. There would be three shows daily from noon. Each show will be for 2 hrs and 15 minutes. In this there will be 30 different items.

The employees including artistes and other support comprise 200. The artistes mostly are from Nepal, Manipur, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. There are also overseas artistes. Four-member Nigerean acrobatic dance team has been special attraction this time . In the past there artistes from Africa and Russia performing in Great Bombay circus.

Artistes day starts with practice daily in the morning at 6 am. Biggest item in the show is the cycling which lasts for 30 minutes in the show. "We have to practice daily morning. If not we will end up doing mistakes in the real show", says Susheela of Nepal.

Among the cyclists, specialist artist Subhash is cynosure of all eyes. He has been in circus filed for the past 21 years. Worked in Malaysia and Singapore also. He performs on folding cycle, single high wheel cycle. "Performing stunts on different types of cycles. To become expert it will take a decade", says Subhas of Chennai.

In circus, role clowns is very vital. Bombay circus has five clowns and among them three are dwarfs. The senior dwarf clown is 71 year Tulsi Das Chowdhary of Bihar. He is working for Bombay circus for 56 years. "I am happy doing circus. Visit my native place once in a year. I also worked for Bollywood and some south Indian films", says Tulsi Das Chowdhary.

All the artistes in a circus will perform in three to five items. But clowns have to be there on the screen throughout the show. "We perform funny acts in between other items and make people and children happy", says Brij Kishore of Bihar.

In Bombay circus, Nigerian artists perform three choreos. They also do juggling and acrobatics in their shows and enthrall the audience. "For us working in Bombay circus is a great privilege" says Nigerian artist Nirea.

There are people who are continuing as artistes in circus for three generations. "I am a jugglery in this circus. My grandfather and my parents were artistes in circus. Now I am continuing the same tradition", says Suraj Jadhav of Gujarat.

Any circus will have to tour different places in the country. So entire team will be on the move most of the time. So the workers and artists work together for a long time. In this some have selected their life partners got married. One such couple is Flying Trapeze and globe rider artist Michael of Kolkata and gun shooter Sony of Assam. "While working in Bombay circus we got married and still continue to work in circus", says Sony.

Michael, who rides a brakeless bike in a round globe shaped iron cage, speaks how risky and challenging is to perform. "Sir in the initial stages I injured by right hand elbow and on my upper lip. But later I became perfect and fearless. Now I m performing to perfection", says Michael.

There are girls who get married and take break for a while have children and come back to circus to perform. "I am a ring dancer. Around my body there will 20 rings and I will have to make go round my body while dancing. I enjoy my show. I have a son now who is three years. I took break for sometime but I m back. I enjoy working in circus", says Kavita of Manipur.

No circus is complete without animal show. In Bombay animal care taker and performer is Sivaprasad of Vijayawada. He does his item using two camels, two horses, 13 dogs, 17 birds brought from Africa and Australia. "Gone are the days we used to form with wild animals like Lion, Tiger and Elephants. But with change in rules we are unable to attract more people to circus", says Siva Prasad of Vijayawada.

For every circus show, one music master is a must. For Bombay circus, Mallikharshan of Kanyakumari is the music master. He sits along with his orchestra at a 40 feet elevated place to produce music watching the artists in the show. "We play music of popular Bollywood numbers and other South Indian films. Without music the show will be very dull. But gone are the days when wild animals brought huge crowds to circus shows ", says Mallikharshan, whose family once owned a circus company and could run after crowds dropped.

To perform Sky Walk item is very difficult it will be performed generally by girls. Using a handing cloth one has to climb along the cloth to a height of 40 feet and then do acrobatics. "This one is breathtaking and risky people also observe with lot of concentration. But we feel sad when people don’t turn for our shows in large numbers" says Manisha of Nepal.

This situation is not prevalent in other country circus companies. Government overseas encourage circus. in India there is no encouragement from governments. Only in Gujarat the government encourages circus companies by allotting place for very nominal price and in Kerala the government gives pension for local senior circus artistes. It is time governments think about circus companies who are giving employment for hundreds of people. The Circus companies should be encouraged as they provide clean and real entertainment.