Navin Pivhal
With no support from the government and with decreased numbers of patrons, the future of the artistes displaying awesome feats with effortless ease appears bleak. This is one tightrope walk that they cannot do easily and win applause
Rajkapoor’s Mera Naam Joker, released in 1970, gave us some insights into the goings-on under the big top, with the Hindi film’s theme being how jokers drown their sorrows to make others laugh. Today, those at the helm in circus companies rue the decline of this form of entertainment. “It is a dying art. If something is not done, soon they will completely fade away. Maybe, the future generations will hear about circus from elders and they will not have a chance to see one live,” they say.
There were times when people were crazy about circus, especially kids. With the advent of new media and innovations in the entertainment industry, circus has taken a backseat.
People today are more receptive towards cinema and television, while the high costs of maintenance and restrictive rules have forced many famous circus companies to shut down. Following the ban on use of certain wild animals in circus a decade ago, the numbers of people going to the big top have gone down drastically across the country.
With no support from the government and with decreased numbers of patrons, the future of the artistes displaying awesome feats with effortless ease appears bleak. This is one tightrope walk that they cannot do easily and win applause.
Hyderabad Hans visited SAM circus in the city. This is the maiden visit of the circus company to Hyderabad. Nearly 60 years old, it is originally from Madanapalle in Chittoor district.
The owner of the circus, K Devraj, belongs to the third generation of the family which founded the circus company. He has spent his entire life in circus. Now he fears that he might me the last one to own a circus from the family, as the future of circus has been blighted by various circumstances.
“I have been performing in circus from my childhood. My father was also in circus and, along with him, I and my brothers started performing at circus. I have three children now and I don’t want them to be part of the circus. I, along with my husband, work hard for their better future. If I were to have a chance to study, I would have opted out of the circus.
There is no future in it. It is there today, but it might not be there tomorrow. Then what will we do? We can’t think beyond circus,” says Reshma, a trapeze artiste.
“The ban on wild animals has hit us hard. People come in small numbers. Business is deteriorating day by day. There is no support from the government, in Indira Gandhi passed a bill for circus, circus should get 75 percent discount in land lease when they perform, but nobody follows it, we fear for our livelihoods as in near future we might be out of business, Government should implement some scheme to save this dying art,” quips Syed Saleem, Manager, Sam Circus.
The artistes and other employees of the circus are fearful of their future as they know the existence of circus in near future is bleak.
Inhuman training for superhuman feats
As per the Supreme Court’s order and guidelines all these circuses are banned from employing children below 14 yrs of age. Though it’s banned most of the circuses are employing children even today violating the instruction of the Supreme Court , children are forced to do dangerous feat like trapeze which is dangerous, these feats are performed mostly without safety nets which is dangerous, few good circuses take care for all these things most of the circuses don’t do that, at the same time these children are forced to practice in odd hours , these children have hardly any time to take rest and they are not properly fed also, as the circus field is not remunerative.
Children are abused, and subject to exploitation, at some time children are trafficked from places like Nepal etc, the children receive 500 rupees per month as salary. Indian circuses have bad repute in abroad as they don’t follow norms, so gradually it has come down. We have 7 rescued children from Prabhas circus in Chittoor I suggest these circuses should take approval from Child Welfare Community, to show them that they don’t have children below 14.