Malayalam auteur K G George’s Mela (1980) and director Jayaraj Vijay’s Nair Pidicha Pulival (1958) were probably the earliest films in Malayalam about life in a circus. Both films, besides an emotional core and taut screenplay, recreated the awe and delight associated with watching a real time circus show, complete with a live orchestra belting out tunes to match the acts presented on stage.
A show at the Great Bombay Circus that returns to the city after six years, brings back those memories. The big tent is gleaming with decorative lights and and the corridor bears black-and-white photos of personalities like Lal Bahadur Shastri, EMS Namboodiripad, Indira Gandhi and MG Ramachandran visiting the circus. Once inside, music played on the speakers stops, a bell rings and the show takes off to a great start.
