Patrons dwindling, circus may not exist for the next generation'

MUMBAI: Exactly at 1pm Thursday, when the Great Golden Circus started its show at Bandra, the 3,000-seat tent had just 25 people in the stands-that too in the last rows for which tickets are the cheapest.
The virtually empty stands have been common for quite some time in the city. “We are battling a poor response from the public for almost two decades,“ said Shoaib John, third-generation owner of a circus which had its first show in 1960.
The downfall started around 1997 with protests against the use of wild animals in a circus.“Initially, lions, tigers and chimpanzees were the main attraction, but after the ban on using wild animals, crowds started thinning,“ said Shoaib, popularly known as Sonu. It was also a time that saw the growing popularity of in-home entertainment like video games and TV, reducing the draw of a circus, he added. He has tried to meet the challenges by using technology and roping in foreign artistes. However, even the presence of six artistes from Russia and Africa has not helped draw the crowds. The saving grace is weekend evening shows, when it's a slightly larger audience and the tent is at least filled to half its capacity with 1,000-1,500 people.
Like most circuses, they are struggling to make ends meet. “We need at least Rs 1 lakh per day to sustain operations, to pay for things like rent, electricity, food and salary for 130 workers, including 30 artistes,“ he said. The circus manages to meet targets on rare occasions like Diwali, Christmas and the summer holidays, though camps are set up across the year. Earlier, they travelled across the country „ from UP , Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, but now restrict shows to Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra due to rising costs.
With no means in sight to bring crowds back, Shoaib feels the future is bleak for the industry. “I think this is the last generation of the circus,“ he said. Agreed manager Radha Mohan Pillai, “ Almost all circuses are in bad shape now.Rajkamal Circus has already closed, others like Gemini Circus may shut down any time.“
But enthusiasts are hoping circuses survive. Aveline Andrade, a banker and mother of a two-year-old, said, “Visiting a circus and being enamoured by the death-defying stunts has been part of growing up. It's up to us to ensure this is also experienced by our children, which is possible only by supporting the circus.“