Entrance To the Circus
Till a few years ago, the onset of the winter season indicated an unquestionable visit to the circus. Alas! The advancement in technology and easier and more exciting forms of entertainment is slowly corroding away the colourful and enchanting world of the circus. This cover story is an effort to revive this vibrant form of art and entertainment. Here, we take a look at the Famous Circus performing at Sinthee More near Dumdum.Mr. M.D. Raj
Interview of Mr. M.D. Raj, circus manager.
Q. The responsibility of this huge circus is placed on your shoulders. The job must be very difficult. Your comments…
When I have been given this responsibility, I have to do my job no matter how difficult it is. Circus is not about one or two individuals or one or two families but it is a world in itself comprising of many families. Hence, I have to perform my duty in spite of all the hardships.
Q.How many years did the famous circus complete?
It was established in 1984. So it has been about 28 years.
Q. What is the season of the circus?
The circus performs throughout the year. There is no particular season of the circus as such. Yet, people look forward to the circus in December and January.
Q. The circus performs in Kolkata during winter. Where do you perform for the rest of the year?
We go to different states and districts. The circus cannot stay at the same place for a long time. It is here in Kolkata for two months. At other places, it might stay for one month or thirty-five days or one and half months. We cover all districts like Bohorompur, Kharagpur, Mednipur, Bankura. We also go to other states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Odhisha.
Q. How many performers are there in this famous circus?
There are 120 members out of which 40 are performers.
We have 10 foreign artists. 6 of them are African and the remaining 4 are Mongolian and Russian.
Q.After the ban on the use of lions and tigers in the circus, what happen to the ones that were used here? Presently, how many animals do you have?
They were all taken up by the government. At present, there are 5 elephants, 5 horses, one hippopotamus and some birds and dogs.
Q. Were you given any compensation?
Well, not as such but we did get in written that all the lions and tigers have been taken up by the government. The all India notice was issued around 2001-2002.
Q. Do you have any permanent doctor or veterinary?
We have a permanent veterinary but he does not travel with us. Whenever we move to a new place, we issue a notice that we want a veterinary for the circus. In case of minor ailments, the local veterinaries are there for the treatment but for anything serious, our permanent veterinary is summoned.
Elephants performing tricks
Q. How are the animals transported from one place to another?All the animals are carried in trucks. Bigger ones like the elephants are loaded directly but the smaller ones such as the birds cannot be kept in the open. They have their own cages which are loaded into trucks.
Q. What difficulties did you face while getting the permission to perform here?
No, there were absolutely no difficulties while getting the permission to perform here.
Q. Why did you choose this place over park circus which would have been inside the city?
They were charging exorbitant rates. For instance, twenty five lakh rupees only for the ground, the living and maintenance costs being extra. Here, the total cost is less than half of that.
Q. Do you have any sponsors?
We do not have any sponsors as such and have to pay for our own expenses. But it would have been so good if we had sponsors.
Q. Are you happy with the crowds? Amongst all the performances, which one do you think attracts the audience the most?
Yes. The crowd is more or less very good.The audience is attracted the most by the performances of the joker, the Russians, the Africans and the hippopotamus.
Q. For how many years have you been working in the circus? And what is the trend in the increase or decrease in the number of spectators?
I have been working here for the last fifteen years. The audience…this is a good point….There was a different market when the government had banned lions and tigers back in 2001 and now there is a different market. To tell the truth, earlier, when a child wanted to come to the circus, four more family members automatically came. Now, many people have realized that there won’t be any tigers or lions. Still, we are trying to adopt various new means to attract their attention by bringing in foreign artists, being more colourful and so on.
All of them meant what they said. Actually, they get to lead their life on their own terms. They are given full payment no matter whether the circus is having profit or loss. We also try to provide them with good living condition. The Russian and Mongolian women are kept in hotels. Many artists live with their families. For example, the couple performing with the hanging ropes is a real life couple. The different artists form a part of the big circus family. Some of them have really shined in life…
Q. Can you cite an example?
Mukesh and Tanya, the first runners up of the reality show India’s Got Talent, on the Colors tv channel, used to work here four-five years ago.
Q. Finally, your message to the readers….
If the circus has been able to entertain you and develop any of your interests, never hesitate to come. And I am very happy that you came here.
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They make us laugh. They make us clap. They make us hold our breaths in anticipation and let us gasp in wonder. They are the performers and stars of the real world who play with their lives just to bring a smile on our faces. Let us take a sneak-peek into their world and listen to what they have to say.
The Death Trap
Stuntman and biker – Govind Dutta (37 years)Q. For how many years have you been working in the circus?
20 years. I started my career at the Olympic Circus. I have been working in the famous circus for fifteen years.
Q. Your performance always leaves the audience thrilled. Yet, how risky is it?
Of course there are risks involved. Suppose if the motor stops or a chain falls!
Q. What precautions do you use?
There is a gap at the bottom of the death circle. If there is any problem, the bike is allowed to fall down while we come up to safety.
Q. have you ever been faced with any accidents?
Small injuries are not rare. Whoever has bad luck has to put up with the accidents. Bikes are very unpredictable. You never know when the engine might stop. So small injuries are common.
Q. inside the death circle, coordination with your team mates is the most important. How do you maintain that?
What else can be done! This is our job. It takes us about a year of practice to master it. Only then we perform in the show. Apart from that, we practice every morning for an hour.
Juggler and horse-rider - Prakash Waghela (23 years)
Nagpur.
I joined the circus at the age of eight years.Q. Did you take the training after joining the circus? How long was the training period?
Yes, all the training is done inside the circus after joining it. And the training period depends on how fast the person can learn.
Q. Why did you join the circus at such a young age?
Um, it was the wish of my parents. I also wanted to learn the circus arts. So I ended up learning them!
I do various kinds of acts. Here, I mainly perform juggling and horse riding.Q. How do you like Kolkata?
Kolkata is very nice. (laughs) In fact, Kolkata is the best place!
Everything is so nice here. There is no tension. One can lead happy and normal life.Q. Are you happy to be in the circus? Did you ever face any problem?
Yes, I am very happy to be in the circus. As for problems, small problems can arise anywhere, even at homes. (laughs again)
Juggler and horse rider Prakash with his wife
Q. What about after the ban on lions and tigers?Ah yes. We had to face some problem then. The circus had been a mobile zoo. The children would ask their parents to take them to the circus so that they could see lions and tigers. Now that the government has taken them away, some of the glory of the circus is lost.
Q. One of your fellow (trapeze) artists just said that after the ban on lions and tigers, more importance is being given to the artists. Do you agree with that?
Yes, it is true. Nevertheless, the lion had always been the main attraction of the circus and now it’s missing. So we have to manage the show now.
[ When asked to pose for a photo, he called up his wife (also an artist) who was standing outside the tent, and insisted that his photo be taken with her as they were newly married! ]
Animal trainer- Subrati Mia (65 years)
Elephants worshiping Lord Shiva!
Q. Which region are you originally from and when have you joined this circus?I’m originally from Nepal and have joined this circus about a month ago. I look after the animals for a living and came here when they called me.
Q. How are the animals trained?
How do you teach a student? As one teaches a student, similarly we teach the animals.
Q. How long is the training process?
The training process of elephants can vary from one-two months. Actually, it depends on the animal. If he is a weak student, one needs to devote more time.
Q. Which animal is the easiest to train?
Arrey bapre! Easy! Training an animal is tougher than training a child. We have to go through a lot of pains to teach them.
The Favourite Hippo!
Q. Do the animals also go through the pain? Isn’t it painful for them to be tied up in chains?No. Not at all. The animals do not have to go through any pains during the training process except the trouble experienced by students when they learn something new.. Nor do the chains hurt them.
Joker – Bashanta Kumar Nayak (47 years)
Joker-the laughter medicine
Q. For how many years have you been working in the circus?It has been about 28 years now.
Q. You have been working in the circus for such a long time. Any memorable experience?
Nothing memorable as such. But I get joy out of making people laugh.
Q. Are you happy with whatever you earn?
Yes indeed. Not only am I satisfied with my earnings but also the fact that I bring a smile on everyone’s face is my greatest reward.
Bashanta Kumar Nayak in real life
Q. What has been the impact after the ban on lions and tigers?As jokers, we have to work twice as hard as before. Since the attraction of tigers and lions are not there anymore, we have to come up with new acts to keep the audience entertained and engrossed in the show.
African performer – Anderson
Anderson
Q. Which country are you originally from?I’m from Kenya.
Q. How does it feel coming to India and performing in Kolkata?
India is nice and Kolkata is also very good. I’ve been with this circus for a year now.
Q. What is the basic difference that you see between the circus performed in your country and ours?
The difference lies only in the show and execution. The items are not the same. The techniques and ideas used there are different.
Q. Are you happy with the Indian audience?
Yes, I’m very happy. The audience is friendly. They do not disturb and get excited when they see any foreigner. The people are good and like to speak to foreigners.
Anderson and his friends performing
Q. You and your group make such strong formations that are also very risky. What preparations do you make for doing them?First we must warm up so that the body becomes very light. You must be very alert. It might be very dangerous and risky but you have to go step by step. I must take care of my friend and he must take care of me. It’s teamwork. That’s how it becomes easy.
Q. When did you start your training?
I started training when I was very young. I joined the circus at the age of fifteen. The training is the same as it is here. Then I came here to work.
Q. Are you in favour of the decision that lions and tigers should not be allowed in circus?
It is difficult to say. It is okay if other animals are used but tigers and lions are special. They are five-star animals who do not like to be messed with. So it’s better not to use them in the circus.
Some of the star attractions of the circus:-
Beautiful formations by Mongolian Artists
he colourful world of the circus beckoned us with its myriad forms of delight. Every performance, starting from the opening ceremony to the grand finale of the trapeze artists at the end had a unique charm to it. The jugglers, the shooters, the cyclists and the bikers exhibited their expertise. The acrobats and the gymnasts were a visual treat. The jokers provided comic relief between the intense performances. The hippopotamus has the kids gasp in wonder by its sheer strength and volume. The colourful birds riding the seesaw, the playful dogs fiddling with the balls, the horses leaping through rings of fire and the elephants performing a puja with detailed rituals kept the audience engaged. But the Mongolian girls performing with the hoopla rings and the African boys with their power packed performances were undoubtedly the stars of the three hour program.Picture Courtesy: Aagnik Ghosh
Text by:
Ishita Roy
Kalicharan Shaw [Gules Articles]
What is your favorite circus act? Share with us :)