“There is risk every day...one has to be careful. But I am not scared,” says trapeze-trampoline artiste Dorendra Singh, ahead of Great Bombay Circus’ (GBC) first show at Putharikandam Maidan in Thiruvananthapuram.
GBC has returned to Thiruvananthapuram after 14 years. There are three shows daily, each two hours long with 34 acts, which includes juggling, acrobatics, shooting, trapeze, trampoline, aerial acts, hula hoop, cycle tricks, sword-swallowing…. “The 7pm-show is always a favourite with the audience with the night lights on and additional performances thrown in, like the fire breathing act,” says troupe manager Jayaprakash PV, who has been a part of the circus for 33 years now.
There are hardly 10 circus troupes across the country and all of them have been struggling to keep their businesses afloat. With new avenues of entertainment available, the Big Top does not hold the same magic for the current generation. “Great Bombay Circus turned 100 in 2020, but we couldn’t celebrate it. The pandemic and lockdown left us high and dry. Shows restarted in last December,” says KM Sanjeev, who runs the circus in partnership with his elder brother, Dileep Nath.
