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Kal khel mein...

Life of a circus artiste is not as carefree as it appears, says K. SRIMALI

PHOTOS: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

FIRE IN THE BELLY Focus is the key factor while performing

Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan, Iske Siva Jaana Kahan... Swarg Yahin Narak Yahan, Iske Siva Jana Kahan... (We have to live here and die here, or else where do we go? This is our heaven and this is our hell, or else where do we go?)

Nothing could have probably captured the trials and tribulations of circus artistes more effectively than these unforgettable lines from Raj Kapur's classic Mera Naam Joker. The soulful voice of Mukesh lent a magical touch to the evergreen number.

Over the years, a Raj Kapur in Mera Naam Joker or a Kamal Haasan in Apoorva Sahodaragal, donning the role of a crestfallen midget lover, have portrayed a slew of emotions of circus artistes, tugging at your heart. Many other Bollywood and Tollywood movies have also touched upon the lives of circus artistes, either in full or as a passing theme. Why? Because no matter what kind of new forms of entertainment come and go, circus still remains vibrant and continues to allure elders and children alike, though at a lesser level of patronage now than before. Circus managers readily ascribe this drop in patronage to the post-1998 ban on use of wild animals.

The balancing act

Conceded, but why does a circus show attract even those fewer crowds? Take a look at various items in a show, and it is not difficult to guess what a close resemblance it has with the different elements of an ideal life that we all wish to lead. Discipline, coordination, synchrony, timing, teamwork, and above all, making impossible things possible. Consider this.

Will you not love to do a trapeze somersault or zoom past on a bike in an iron globe and still come out unscathed?

When 100-odd artistes put the two-and-half-hour show together to entertain their patrons, performing such daredevil acrobatics, balancing and coordinated acts, it leaves us all wide-eyed and in awe. So, what is the bedrock of these great performances?

"A lot of practice. Every circus artiste would have had at least three years of rigorous practice before he or she entered the ring first time," the septuagenarian artist-turned-trainer of Gemini Circus P. Ravindran points out, closely monitoring the early morning practice sessions of the artistes at PWD Grounds where Gemini Circus' shows are currently on.

"However experienced an artist may be, he or she will have to continuously practice every day to keep fit and focussed," Ravindran explains. The steely physique of the man, who is into his 56th year of service in the industry, explains it all.

High risk

A trapeze catcher that he was when young, Ravindran knows only too well the importance of timing and coordination among artistes. "Coordination between the player doing a somersault and the catcher who grabs him at the right time forms the success story of any trapeze event," he says.

Rajesh Sharma, the 35-year-old trapeze player, readily endorses: "If a player has no idea of his timing, a helper comes into the picture. Though we all are trained for a safe fall on the net arranged beneath, it is in no way a guarantee to our safety. There have been instances of some fatal falls," he recalls. Doesn't the risk involved in the show deter him from carrying on with it? He has an answer: "I have overcome fear. I stay totally concentrated on the feat, entertaining no other thought in my mind."

For P.K. Gangadharan, the 56-year-old former trapeze artiste, it was one such fall that forced him to retire from acrobatics.

But he has made himself relevant to his employer and spectators by stepping into the shoes of a joker. "Even jumping from the ladder in the comic skit is difficult, as it requires lot of practice," he avers.

What keeps them all going? Gemini Circus' managing partner Ajay Shankar sums it up: "Love for the profession even in the face of no support from Governments."

Death-defying feat

DAREDEVILS The Singh couple is obsessed with risky feats

Though a traditional ingredient in a circus show, the Globe of Death continues to be a hair-raising experience.

It involves four to five daredevil bikers who criss-cross each other at a high speed in a cage-like 16-ft high and 12-ft wide globe.

For Mahesh Singh and Jayasree Singh, the Bihari couple in their early 40s, it has been a call of duty every day for over a decade now. "We use bikes without gears or brakes. Timing is a key factor and every biker must know how to criss-cross each other in the globe without hurting or getting hurt," they point out.

The helmets and kneecap guards that they use for safety is no guarantee any way. "After a fall, I had to undergo a surgery for my foot," Mahesh recalls.

For Jayasree, risk-taking obsession is in her blood. "My mother Gowri, a Malayalee, was the first woman trapeze artiste and woman biker in Globe of Death in the country," she says with pride.

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