THE future of the circus as an entertainment medium in India is — atbest — uncertain

Hopelessly eclipsed by television' and relegated to the sidelines by the magk of cinema. India's circus induv try has been drastically reduced to just a couple of big names: the Gemini and Maharaja.

All the smaller ones, numbering less than a dozen, believe that their days arc numbered.

The cinema initially gave the circus formidable competition with moviegoers forcing the live entertainment act to move from one city to another in search of an audience. HK H TV arrived, posing a more seri ouschalk-nge.

TV companies actually tried to breathe new life to tile circus business by beaming special live performances to millions of children watching in the comfort of their homes.

But die myriad of problems which plague tile circus industry, foremost of whkh of course is the cost of admission. make its continued success a very uncertain proposition. The average Indian could hardly afford a circus ticket while it takes just a few rupees to enter the moviehouse. Television, needless to say, is free.

Analysts say even the Russian Circus, renewed the world over for its magnificent feats and breathtaking attractions, is facing the same problems. Russians also do not have the money to visit circus shows. And it costs millions of roubles to feed and maintain the circus animals.

Some Indian circus performers also say theirs is a dying art Young artists are hard to come by and even old circus hands now resent the idea of handing down their skills and expertise to their children.

Industry analysts say, in places like Kerata, bee ause of growing liter acy and better economy the children of circus performers are studying getting their degrees and doing white collar jobs

( oniounding the Indian circuses woes is a court order putting a tern

porary ban chi tile buying and selling of animals by circus companies. Hie order was issued at the request of animal protection sections who argued that animals are badly treated during circus training. Animals, whkh are often bought at low prices, are com-pclkd to perform under tough condi tkms. They are whipped, punished and generally treated in a cruel manner by trainers.

Circus people deny such allega tions. Ihey say: "Unless we love these animals, how can they obey to perform the tricks children love to watch. If you are cruel to an elepliant or a tiger, it would not just obey you.'

I fa re are odicT prolik-ms as well

Like in other industries, there have been accidents, such as when a ring master was attacked by a lion and killed. Once a cirCus company caught fire and a few people died. And recently, a 16-year-old trapeze artist died following a fall

Many artists complain, however,

that they are not paid proper compensation in case of accident nor are they, apparently, ensured

To begin with, circus artists are poorly paid. Sudarshan, clown of Gemini and one of the better known circus artists, for instance, earns barely Rs 2,000 (US$64) a month although his board and lodging are free. W hile the Nepali who joined die circus in 1952 when he was 11, would not w ant to do anything else, be does not like his children to join die circus but would rather that they become civil servants.

Sanhjeev Kumar, who has been a circus performer for 1" years, earns a respectable Rs 4.500 a month (USSlt l) and loves his job but stiff would not want Ids children to folkiw in his footsteps. He wants his chll dren to have an easier and more com fortahle life.

Circus, according to folklore, came to India in the previous century when an Italian circus producer

named Wielen Chime came to Bombay with his troupe. A challenge from die ring master for die audience to imitate a number with trained horses resulted in a dazzling performance from Hari (hhatry. an expert horse trainer and stable superinten dent. The Italian was so impressed that he sold his entire circus to Mr Chhatry whkh became India's first circus.

Today, however, circus performances and artists do not seem to generate as much awe. E Ravindra. the 45-year-old chief instructor at Gemini who is from Tellkherry. Mr (ldiatry"s old hometown, is dismayed at the flippant attitude with whkh circus artists are treated. He said: "Why don't we have circus festivals? Why don't we get any national awards? The dreus is also an art.'

Pointing out that the local films Mera Naam Joker and Appu Raja were both made at the <>emini Circus, he asks: 'Kamal Hasan got a National Aw ard tor the film, w hat did we got?'

He lanKTils the lack of any pen sion schemes and government aid to circus personnel "We do not even have voting rights, for we are always on the mme," he says.

Ilie tiemini cireus is 15 wars old and the largest in the country but proprietor Nabharwal reveals that die nun ling expendaurvs per dav anaiuni to Rs 50,000 (IS $ 1.594). The circus has a range of animals to feed — lions, ck-phants. horses, camels even an African hippopotamus

When ail shows go full gate col lections amount to Rs 100.000 (US $ 3.1R8). Normally they just manage to breakeven.

The question in everyone s mind — < inus peril emrrs and proprietor, alike — fa Him naah longer can thn survive?

Some help has ion* from th. govemmenl. The Drihi Mair govern mrnL h»i uow aboifahrd tax on this kind of emrrtainmenl a king stand ing demand to boost the dnus sag Ipngeanw*.

Hepthnewt Amu