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The collapsing BIG TOP
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Making others laugh is their job, but how happy are they in life? With the present trend they would become history in a couple of years, what then?
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Fearlessly they swing from one sling to another, and with every shout of adulation from the crowd they tend to increase the number of somersaults to keep up the tempo only to satiate the public clamour for more such dangerous feats. They are the acrobats in a circus troupe. Circus is the first and may be the last real show business that has the ability to put people on the edge of the seat, with its awe-inspiring daredevil feats.
Though it originated in the west, circus is not new to India. Its roots can be traced to the 19th century, when Vishupant Vinayak Chatre, the daring horse trainer of Raja of Kuruwadan, Maharashtra, took up the challenge of William Chirni of the Italian Circus to replicate in a year's time - that is 1879 - his feats on the horse. Not only that. He excelled Chirni's feats. That was the birth of the great Indian circus tradition. It was, however, left to Keelari Kunhikannan of Tellichery, to continue and bring worldwide recognition to this Indian tradition of feats.
Over the years the Indian circus has carved a niche for itself all around the globe with its daring feats and relentless hard work. Today it stands separately in a category called the "The Great Indian Circus" along with Russian and Italian circuses. But after successfully transcending the years, it is in dire straits now.
"Ten years ago, there were over 220 circuses in the country but today there are hardly ten and all of them are fighting for survival," says the team manager of The Great Prabhat Circus, Ashok Pawar.
"Indian circus earlier mainly depended on animal feats but with the imposition of strict animal regulations, that aspect is fading out of the scene. As far as acrobatics are considered we still feature many of the same acts of the past with a few innovations here and there. In the present context we are fighting against all odds for survival. Finance, natural disasters, shortage of performers and licence raj are a few of the major hindrances for the development of circus," says he.
Wild animals like lions, tigers, bears and chimpanzees were the star attractions in a circus but the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act and the Wildlife Protection Act categorised these animals under Schedule I, and they were confiscated for rehabilitation in Animal Rescue Centres. This development was given a shot in the arm by the invasion from the sky. Satellite channels like Discovery, National Geographic and Animal Planet beamed live images of the wild animals in their natural habitat leaving llittle interest among the public to visit a circus to catch a glimpse of them. The loss of public interest has seen many of the circus shows go empty for years. Unable to bear the exorbitant cost many well-to-do circus companies downed their shutters.
"The average maintenance of a circus with around 200 persons plus animals would be around Rs.30,000 a day, whereas the sale of tickets from three shows may not even come up to half of it. Moreover, none of the financial houses are keen on funding a circus company as they feel it is a dying business. If this trend continues, then Indian circus will be history within the next 10 years. Even to get good performers is becoming a Herculean task nowadays. People are reluctant to join the circus, as there is a general perception that its days are numbered and it can no longer give the performers a star status that was prevalent in the bygone days. So we have to carry on with the existing and old performers only," says the floor manager of Great Prabhat Circus, Basavaraju.
"Satellite channels, development of cinema and other forms of entertainment have literally killed this business in cities and very little is left for us in villages. Lifestyle has changed the priority of entertainment. Discos, cinemas and a trip down to the video games parlour find a nod ahead of a drive to a circus show. Even children are groomed to adore the fake fighters of WWF rather than appreciate a daredevil trapeze artiste or a ringmaster who makes the wild animals dance to his tune in a circus. What is more pathetic is the Government's attitude towards us. It has plans to rehabilitate the animals in the circus but nothing for the people who have been entertaining the public for decades with breathtaking stunts," laments Pawar.
The circus companies in India do not consider themselves as professionals performing companies like their western counterparts but they live and perform like one family. People from different States with diverse culture and tradition live together as one family in the troupe tents and in the dusty aisles between the tents. Travelling from place to place they are like an oasis within a State in turmoil or a cloister within a world of chaos. The family comprises children mostly girls; for many of them, the alternative to this life would have been begging or prostitution. Life for them in circus is better compared to the abused life, though they have to risk their lives to perform three or more times in a day, dabbing all the make-up to cheer up the mood of the audience. But do these acrobats, who risk their lives for the sake of entertaining others, get their due recognition today?
"To be a great acrobat you need to have a strong heart and a equally strong body. But the question is how long can one keep them healthy and fit. One day, one has to stop jumping and swinging or stop walking on the rope. What then? There is a big void after that. Look at me, 10 years ago I was a trapeze artiste, playfully and daringly swinging from one sling to another like the wild mountain cat, and was in much demand. When I performed, audience would drop their jaws in awe. But today I am a joker making people laugh with silly antics. I am fortunate that the management of the circus and the family here have not thrown me out. But that may not be the case with others," says a former trapeze performer who is now a clown.
Life within the circus is unique. Human beings and animals live under the same roof and they share a common bond, `the bond of survival'. Many a time performers fall in love to form another small family within a big family. They shout, scold and appreciate one another and also cry together like small children even when a dog in the troupe dies (keeping aside the allegation of torture imparted to the animals). They are a closed family, nothing goes inside unless one wants to join and get trained as a performer and nothing comes out. They may shift but they may not leave. Whether it is a case of addiction or helplessness is the million dollar question.
The Great Prabhat Circus
Vizagites can have a treat of this dying show business as the Great Prabhat Circus has pitched its tents at the Railway Stadium currently. This circus was started by Prabhat Singh 50 years ago and is now managed by his son P. Saibaba.
"To give the best to the public we have packed our show with a few new items like trapeze in the dark or the flying trapeze and a new form of balancing trapeze," says Ashok Pawar.
The two-and- half-hour show is packed with 26 items, including one by the jumbos. The circus has four pachyderms and a camel apart from dogs and parrots.
"The show by the dogs and the parrots is worth watching and the kids would enjoy every bit of it," says Basavaraju. The circus that has come to this city after many years is indeed a refreshing entertainment. And it is worth to take some time off to visit the place for a change. The tariff is also economical varying from Rs.15 to Rs.50 with three shows on weekdays and four on Sundays.
SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE
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