Circus comes to town with crowd-pleasing repertoire
Gemini Circus is currently performing in Tiruchi, adapting its repertoire to modern entertainment trends after bans on animal acts and child performers. The circus continues to employ a large troupe of artists from across India and Nepal.
Why it matters
The story reflects the challenges faced by traditional performing arts in the age of digital entertainment and changing regulatory landscapes.
Juggling balls and performing acrobatics with candelabras calmly in the post-lunch hour heat of Tiruchi is not an easy career choice, but it is a way of living for the artistes of Gemini Circus, that has pitched its Big Top near the airport in the city since early July.
Gemini Circus, founded by M.V Shankaran and K. Sahadevan in Billimoria, Gujarat, in 1951, is doing its best to draw audiences while facing stiff competition from other forms of entertainment.
Jokers doing their act at the circus show in Tiruchi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
“We are no longer allowed to use animals in our acts or employ child artistes. So we have changed our repertoire to suit an audience that is more used to being entertained by films and smartphones,” V. Sethumohanan, circus manager, told The Hindu on Tuesday.
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