And Now, Circus Goes Online Too!

Pune: Talk about the circus and the pathos written large on the face of Raj Kapoor (who plays a clown) in the iconic movie ‘Mera Naam Joker’ comes to mind.

Life had become somewhat like that for the head clown of Rambo Circus, 51- year-old Biju Pushkaran when all live circus shows were stalled due to the coronavirus induced lockdowns.

Six months after they folded up, the tents have been opened once again. But not for love shows. Like everything else, the circus has also gone online. Rambo Circus presented a virtual show for the first time on September 25, reported The New Indian Express (TNIE) quoting a PTI report.

Although the artistes missed the real-time joy of interacting with a live audience and especially hugs from children, this virtual way of presenting the show through pre-recorded videos has given a new lease of life to the circus.

The special fundraising show ‘Life Is A Circus’, was organised in association with LaQshya Live Experiences and Production Crew Entertainment. The circus is now planning to hold more such shows in the near future, the report added.

According to Pushkaran, the circus was approached by Production Crew for online shows.

Pushkaran, a circus clown for 21 years, said that after the first show, he felt happy after seeing children sitting holding placards with messages like ‘We Love Rambo Circus’ written on it.

The online show has a feature called ‘Meet & Greet’ session wherein the clowns and artistes interact with children virtually.

“During this session, several kids asked us about our well-being, about our families, how we lived during the pandemic. Through these conversations, the smile returned to our faces,” he told PTI.

Sujit Dilip, owner of Rambo Circus told PTI that it was a ticketed event hosted on a virtual platform with an audience watching it from their houses. “It is a 60-minute-long completely pre-recorded show. All the acts were shot in the circus tent,” he said.

The show was presented in the form of a narrative that harps on the journey of Rambo Circus. It unravels the acts while highlighting the achievements, struggles, global presence and the never-ending enthusiasm of the artistes that have kept it alive through thick and thin,” Sujit told PTI.

The show culminates in an act dedicated to COVID-19 warriors for their constant effort to combat the pandemic with a special message from the artistes of the circus.

Saurabh Khurana of LaQshya Live Experiences said that for the last two-and-a-half months, they were working on this project by roping in experts and professionals.