Everyone knows that COVID-19 Pandemic has affected the economies across the world. What many don’t know is, it has also affected the lives of many performing artistes across the world. The word ‘performing artistes’ brings images of singers, dancers, theatre artists, stand-up comedians to our minds. But, how many of us ever think of a circus artiste?
The reason for this, especially in India, is that the circus as an art form has gone so far or even lost from many of our lives. There could be many reasons why Circus has lost its popularity but Ministry of Minority Affairs has become one of the prominent reasons why the forgotten art is back and in full swing.
Hunar Haat, an initiative of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, is being held in Mumbai at MMRDA Ground, BKC, from 16th April to 27th April 2022, where around 35 circus artistes are performing daily. Press Information Bureau, Mumbai got an opportunity to interact with a few of the circus artistes performing at the Hunar Haat.
This piece is a tribute to the performing art which kept us excited and made us happy in our childhood and also a shout-out to every artist out there who is working hard to make the audience happy!
As its tagline goes, ‘Craft, Cusine and Culture’, the 12-day fair is a one-stop shop for credible and consummate ‘Swadeshi’ products. Besides supporting and encouraging 1000s of artisans across the country, Hunar Haat has also provided a platform for 100s of performing artists from singers, dancers, comedians as well as circus artistes who are entertaining the visitors during the fair.
“It’s after a long time ‘Circus’ has got its reputation back in the country,” said the owner of the Rambo Circus Troupe, P T Dileep. The troupe has been performing at various Hunar Haats being organized across the country. He was reminiscing about the Lt. Governor of Chandigarh honoring the artistes, a few days back in Chandigarh when the city hosted the Hunar Haat.
“We were awarded with a memento and a cash prize of Rs. 11,000/-. Receiving this one of our senior artistes, Biju Nair, who performs the clown, cried out of happiness,” he said. “It was not the money. I am more than 50 years and this was the first time ever in my life that I received such an honour and that too from such a distinguished person,” Biju Nair said proudly.
Recalling the evergreen period of circus, Raajeev Birdea, the Manager of the Rambo Circus Troupe said, “There was a time when people used to come three days in advance. They used to come with their food packed, and would wait for days to watch a one-hour circus show.” He painfully recalled how the art has lost its charm over years. “In 1998 there were 317 groups in the country; only 6 are left today and only one in Maharashtra – ours.”
