“Now we are running shows with at least 25% to 35% occupancy. If things continue like this, we’ll be able to survive for a while, as our food and basic needs are being covered. But if there’s another lockdown, we’ll have to close down and return to the odd jobs we took up during the long break,” said Jayraj Tarmal, a manager of the circus.
A long struggle
However, the members of the circus, given the struggle they have been through during the pandemic, consider the 50% occupancy norm a blessing. It has given them another shot at surviving the pandemic, which has already forced all other circuses in town to fold their tents. “From the first week of reopening, our shows have been running with 25% to 30% occupancy. We have roughly 1,500 seats, including single chairs and the gallery, and in the first week, the footfall was around 500. It increased to something between 50% and 60% between December 31 and January 2, when we sold around 700 to 850 tickets per show. But the sale dropped from January 3 and now, the occupancy is around 30% again,” said Michel Kishore Das, another manager.
When asked why it took them so long to reopen, Michel told us that the employees and performers of the circus had to take up all kinds of odd jobs to survive, while the birds and animals were taken care of by the owner at his house. “After we decided to reopen, we had to call up everyone and many refused to rejoin the circus. It took us months to hire the right replacements, finalise the shows and rehearse them well. That’s why we could finally reopen on December 23, 2021,” he said.
The safety precautions
Given the current situation and the fact that the circus is still running its shows, we asked them what steps they are taking to ensure safety of the audience. “Be it a child or an adult, we are not allowing anybody inside without masks. We are even providing masks to people not wearing one and making sure that everyone keeps them on throughout the show and till they are on our campus. There are also hand sanitiser stands at every gate and all our workers and ticket-checkers carrying a bottle around so that whenever someone asks for sanitiser, it’s available. Temperature checks are also being done at the entrance,” said Jayraj.
Moreover, he said they are trying to ensure that people sit at least two seats apart. “Since only 25% to 35% seats are being occupied, we are asking people to sit apart. However, we are not able to do that in the case of children because they always stick to their parents. We are also maintaining close contact with the local police station and municipality for any emergency,” he added.
Keeping the show going
The lack of overseas performers and the ban on using wild animals were making survival a difficult proposition for almost all circuses across India. A huge majority couldn’t pass the government scrutiny on the treatment meted out to the animals and had their licenses cancelled. While wild animals, except elephants, were banned from circuses in 2000, even elephants were banned in 2014. That’s when circuses started hiring foreign acrobats from Russia, Turkey and Greece to make their shows interesting. But the pandemic has effectively put an end to that practice. So now, the circus, which once hosted grand shows involving wild beasts, elephants, international acrobats and death-defying stunts, is relying on its lesser stars — performing dogs and exotic birds — to stay in the game. “Before the pandemic, people would buy tickets to watch the foreign acrobats. But after the ban on international travel, we can’t even hire them. Now, our dogs and birds are our only hopes,” said Michel.
At present, nine birds (macaw and cockatoo) and five dogs (Indian Spitz and Pomeranian) cover more than an hour of the 2.5-hour show. The remaining show is about a variety of stunts and acrobatics, including motorcycle stunts, juggling, fire breathing and trapeze. But according to Michel, the audience, especially children, love the birds and dogs.
The current ringmaster of the circus, Tarak Saha, who has been in the field for over 40 years, told us that they start training the animals from an early age. “Once they learn something, they don’t forget. But that doesn’t mean adult animals cannot be trained,” he said.
‘The animals need to rehearse regularly’
When an animal first arrives at the circus, the trainer observes it and formulates a custom training regimen for it. For instance, Sapna, the Macaw, is restless, so Tarak has assigned her the Jumping Jack trick, while Deep, a Cockatoo, shines best in balancing acts.
After the first three months, there’s usually no need for everyday practice. “But if there are no shows, then the animals should be taken out for rehearsals every once in a while. Dogs need to be taken out every day and that keeps them healthy and happy,” said Tarak.
Moreover, each bird is on a strict diet and the ringmaster himself keeps an eye on the feeding. “Mostly, seasonal fruits and grains are what they need. Regular treatment is also very important and the circus members often stay in contact with vets from the city,” said Bijay Basak, another animal trainer.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/thirdwave-fate-of-kolkatas-sole-surviving-circus-hangs-in-balance/articleshow/88752325.cms
