The Great Golden Circus is on show in Gandhidham and a couple of Sundays back I took my 6 year old child to watch it. The last time I visited a circus was many, many years ago, probably 35 years or so, when I was about her age. Circus is wholesome, old fashioned early 20th Century form of entertainment where everything is in flesh and blood and the sights and sounds are absolutely real and not some far flung fantasy being beamed through a TV or computer screen. However, barring a few elephants, horses and parakeets, there were no wild animals, no dare-devil acts and no crowd - just the shimmering costumes of the artistes to remind you of the days when a circus was the most awaited event in town. All this a far cry from my distant childhood memories of of a ring master cracking his whip and making the most ferocious of big cats look tame- a scene so inspiring that at that point of time i had probably considered it as a real macho career option when I 'grew up'!
The exit of wild animals from circus brought in the first gloom a decade ago. With no tigers jumping through rings of fire or lions playing ball, the circus began losing its magic. This compounded by rising maintenance costs, misplaced pressure from animal right groups and the onslaught of electronic entertainment instruments available conveniently and at affordable prices, sounded the death knell of this grand form of entertainment.
With wild animals gone, it is left to humans to run the show. Hence, a circus typically has endless people-performances in quick succession. Artistes double up with different stunts.
There were a plethora of 'acts' though. From Nigerians performing gutsy aerobatics to women from north-east displaying daring spear exploits. But even for these, there were no takers - just a handful of visitors huddled in small groups watching the show. Most of these were bored parents accompanying their children.
The Circus owners are a beleaguered lot. They say their love for the pantomime keeps them going but with no animals and no guests, life is getting only more difficult with every new show. Also, there is little or no support or sops being extended by the government to keep this art form alive. In fact, I recently read that the plugs had been finally pulled off from the only official government-aided Circus Training Academy in Kerala.
To survive even another decade into this Century, the Circuses will have to tweak their antiquated USP and find other ways to get in the crowds and the moolah. May be include some bizarre performances or just get the animals back. Agreed, that circus animals are treated shabbily but nothing comes close to hearing the loud roar of a tiger or a lion while seated just a few feet away!!
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