top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thrills, roars and cheers under a giant marquee

Rambo Circus pitches a tent in MMR Mumbai : Mumbaikars are thronging to rediscover the joys of stunning, live entertainment as the familiar Rambo Circus has pitched a tent in Borivali West, before it shifts to Navi Mumbai from December 2.   This is billed as the first major full-scale season post-Covid-19 pandemic, which had led to a near washout of shows owing to social-distancing norms and public fears. The tent is now attracting a strong public response, said Rambo Circus Director and...

Thrills, roars and cheers under a giant marquee

Rambo Circus pitches a tent in MMR Mumbai : Mumbaikars are thronging to rediscover the joys of stunning, live entertainment as the familiar Rambo Circus has pitched a tent in Borivali West, before it shifts to Navi Mumbai from December 2.   This is billed as the first major full-scale season post-Covid-19 pandemic, which had led to a near washout of shows owing to social-distancing norms and public fears. The tent is now attracting a strong public response, said Rambo Circus Director and owner Sujit Dilip.   “We get good crowds on weekends and holidays, but weekdays are still a struggle. Our fixed expenses are around Rs. One Crore per month. Costs have gone up nearly ten times on all fronts in the last five years, and the 18% GST is killing. We manage around 1,500 shows annually, but barely break even, with wafer-thin margins,” said Dilip, 50.   The logistics alone are staggering. Rambo Circus travels across India with an 80-member troupe of acrobats, aerialists, sword balancers, jugglers, jokers, rigging crews, support staff, massive equipment, and a few mechanical animals.   “Many of my people have spent their entire lives under the tent. We live like a huge family. I try to support their children’s education, medical needs and help them build some financial stability. But without resources, it is becoming increasingly difficult,” said Dilip, his voice weary after decades of struggle for survival.   He reminisced of the golden era of Indian circus, around the second half of the last century, when there were many grand, full-scale circuses, but today barely half a dozen professional setups remain - Gemini, Golden, Ajanta, Asian, Great Bombay, and Rambo - along with a few smaller, local outfits.   “Unlike most countries where circuses come under the Cultural Ministry, India offers no institutional identity or support. I am invited as a jury member to several top annual international circus festivals. I feel sad as not a single Indian artist features on global stages. We just have no backing here,” Dilip told The Perfect Voice in a free-wheeling chat.   He said the decline accelerated after the ban on live animal performances nearly 20 years ago in India. In contrast, many foreign circuses still feature elephants, horses, bears, zebras, llamas, tigers, leopards, lions, and exotic birds - though most face heavy resistance from animal-rights groups.   “Moreover, ticket rates in India are among the lowest in the world, without tax concessions. In foreign circuses, even in smaller countries, tickets start at Rs 10,000 per head. We can’t dare match that…” he rued.   Yet, the thirst to lure audiences remains undiminished. Rambo Circus now leans on technology and innovation, featuring a mechanical elephant, a giraffe on stilts, stuffed zebras, deer, bears and horses, and has commissioned a Japanese company to design a robotic lion to perform tricks.   To make the shows more interactive, MoC – a tall senior joker – invites the young audience members into the ring to try small acts like skipping, jumping, or dancing with help from the midget clowns, and the kids’ shrieks of joy echo through the tent, as their parents furiously click videos and selfies.   Dilip recalled that during the pandemic lockdown, when survival seemed impossible, Rambo Circus pioneered online ticketed shows, selling nearly 50,000 virtual tickets - the highest among circuses worldwide at that time, and earned praise by international peers.   “We are swimming alone… For us, it’s not just entertainment. It is art, heritage, livelihood, identity, and passion - and we will fight for a dignified existence,” Dilip said quietly.   Rambo Circus’ emotional tug at PM’s heart Rambo Circus Director and owner Sujit Dilip appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help save this art form with a huge potential to generate jobs, discover talents, earn massive revenues and foreign exchange.   “We urge the PM and ICCR to give Indian circuses a formal status, affordable venues for our shows, extend bank loans, opportunities for skill-upgradation, foreign collaborations and inclusion under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ CSR list. Many corporates wish to help, but current rules prevent it,” Dilip told The Perfect Voice .   He recalled how, during Covid-19, Rambo Circus launched online shows and sold nearly 50,000 tickets, proving the potential of Indian circus talent and earning acclaim worldwide for his innovation. “Our dream is to make India’s circuses world-class, and we need government support to achieve this,” he said.   History of circuses – Roman Arenas to open maidans The name ‘circus’ had its origins in ancient Rome, where chariot races, gladiator clashes, displays/deadly fights between wild animals and condemned humans enraptured audiences in huge open arenas. Later, circuses began modestly in 1768 with horse tricks performed by Philip Astley, a London cavalryman. Then, came the modern version of live performances by horses/ponies in the US in 1793, and in the 1830s, wild animals were introduced.   Many Hollywood films featured circuses as the backdrop. The most memorable ones are: Charlie Chaplin’s “The Circus” (1928); Walt Disney’s “Dumbo’ (1941); Cecile B. DeMille’s 2 Oscar Award-winning “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952); biopic on P.T. Barnum “The Greatest Showman” (2017), et al.   Bollywood’s own legendary ringside acts were in films like Raj Kapoor’s “Mera Naam Joker” (1970); “Chandralekha” (1948); “Appu Raja” (1989); “Circus Queen” (1959); “Shikari” (1991); “Dhoom 3” (2013); and the howlarious circus climax in Firoz A. Nadiadwala’s “Phir Hera Pheri” (2006), etc.

The Boy Who Would Be King

Can the youthful Shubman Gill rise above princely promise to build a new red-ball empire?

ree

When India’s selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar stepped up to the microphones at the Wankhede Stadium last week, a generational baton was passed. Rohit Sharma, the genial elder statesman of Indian Test cricket, had walked into the sunset. Virat Kohli, his fiery predecessor, had bowed out too. In their wake emerged Shubman Gill, suddenly the 37th Test captain of India at 25.


Gill has long been seen as a prince-in-waiting - a batsman with the kind of classical elegance and modern temperament that has prompted comparisons to Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli in the same breath. Now, he is the leader of a team in transition, charged with shepherding a post-Rohit, post-Virat generation into a new era of Indian red-ball dominance.


His elevation is as much about potential as it is about performance. Gill’s Test average in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) remains unflattering. Yet, selectors believe that responsibility will coax out the consistency.


India’s cricketing mandarins, it seems, have opted for the long view. They could have played safe by anointing Rishabh Pant, the swashbuckling wicketkeeper or JaspritBumrah. But Pant’s form after a near-fatal car crash has been erratic and Bumrah remains under strict workload management.


Gill’s ascension owes more to his temperament than his stats. As captain of the Gujarat Titans in this year’s IPL, he led with calmness and clarity. His leadership was understated but effective, something that must have impressed India’s cricketing establishment.


One man in particular had watched Gill closely from the beginning: Rahul Dravid. The outgoing coach worked with Gill during India’s victorious 2018 Under-19 campaign and is said to have lobbied strongly for him as the next long-term Test captain. Dravid’s parting endorsement carried weight in the corridors of the BCCI.


Gill’s Test journey itself has been uneven. Since debuting in the iconic 2020 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, where he scored a serene 91 in India’s improbable series win, he has flitted in and out of form. At times he has appeared too languid, too loose against the moving ball abroad. Yet at home, and especially on flatter decks, his strokeplay remains a joy to behold.


Still, challenges loom large. The England series, beginning June 20, will be no ceremonial debut. It is the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and will likely feature spicy tracks, probing swing and a revamped English attack. With senior bowlers like Mohammed Shami out and Bumrah available for only three Tests, Gill must also juggle batting burdens with tactical nous.


Some have questioned whether the choice was premature. KL Rahul, another senior statesman, is 33 but more experienced. Yet age and injuries have dulled his claim.


It helps that Gill straddles eras. He is old enough to have shared dressing rooms with Kohli and Rohit, yet young enough to bond with India’s next crop which includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Ruturaj Gaikwad. His leadership may depend as much on locker room dynamics as on tactical flair. For now, the BCCI is betting that Gill’s polish and poise will lend gravitas to a team rebuilding its spine.


The question, of course, is whether the boy from Fazilka can shoulder India’s most scrutinised job without becoming its next burnout. Kohli once thrived on confrontation; Dhoni on detachment. Gill will need to find his own idiom of leadership. He is not as fiery as Kohli, nor as stoic as Dravid, but there is a certain stillness to him, an economy of words and gestures that suggests steel under silk.


For now, the boy who would be king must turn promise into power. The Test begins soon.

Comments

bottom of page