Circus reminds us the time has changed

As you stroll into the Park Circus Maidan,despite the annoying dust clawing at your throat,there are bits of you searching for familiar sights.

As you stroll into the Park Circus Maidan,despite the annoying dust clawing at your throat,there are bits of you searching for familiar sights. Sights that have parts of your childhood strewn around them ¿ stern fathers turning away pesky vendors selling cheap ice cream,children eyeing packets of oily potato chips longingly,a winding queue waiting impatiently for the gates to open,and a dank smell of animals drawing children to the far end of the pavilion. What you see instead is a smattering of people in front of the gates,waiting almost stoically for them to open. Huge colorful posters of pin-ups ¿ hand-drawn images of buxom dancing women dressed in corsets made popular in Bollywood in the 50s ¿ look down forlornly. A glaring reminder that times have changed.

Inside the tent,the sun streaks in stealthily through the generously tattered roof. Theres very little mystery in the air,even less of enthusiasm. The children seem lost in their packets of biscuits and their parents are busy keeping water bottles,mufflers and the kids themselves in place. It is tearing through such an intense air of ennui that an army of pretty girls enters the stage — short pleated skirts,fitted shirts and sports shoes in place — and sway to the tune of an assortment of patriotic A R Rahman songs.

The crowd — having seen snazzier versions of the same on innumerable TV award functions ¿ looks on un-enchanted. The soon after their exit,the stage is taken over by a tablet of clowns. Hardly three feet tall,dressed in almost discolored,tattered overalls,and almost impassive expressions on their hastily coloured faces,they break into a friendly banter among themselves. They look at the crowd,momentarily distracted by their pompous appearance,and crack jokes. We are made to understand that they are throwing jokes at the crowd,thanks to the raucous laughter they themselves indulge in after a while. By now,you have stopped searching your childhood inside the frayed circus tent. The clowns soon retire to the wings and the stage is taken over by a group of very young girls trying to woo the crowd with their balancing tricks. Pretty sequined dresses and persevering smiles stuck on their faces apart,its quite stunning how they manage to do yoga-like postures on all sorts of wobbly things ¿ a plank placed on two balls,ropes,etc. Its another thing that the crowd is yet to wake up to the charms of the circus. They see such tricks on TV all the time. And the shows come with very glossy packaging. Even after these people work so hard,there is very little appreciation. Satellite television has killed us, says a member of the troupe.

What follows is a series of juggling acts,a trapeze act and acrobatics — nothing that you have not seen on TV,nothing that makes you stand up on your seat,nothing that brings bits if your childhood back in time. People hardly have time to come to the circus. We dont have the kind of money to make it look glossy also. Children of this generation will probably never know what a real circus is like, says the manager of the circus.

As you leave the tent there is a tinge of sadness. Time can be brutal. The circus will tell you why.

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