Month-long circus to conclude this weekend

The 90-member team stages three shows of two-hour duration daily

A circus from Pune is gearing up for the last leg of its month-long tour in Bengaluru.

Rambo Circus has been performing three shows daily near the Kengeri Bus Terminal on Mysore Road, where it is stationed till October 23.

Bengaluru is their third stop on this year’s itinerary, which began in March with shows in Pune and later in Belagavi. The 90-member troupe is headed to Mumbai next.

They have been in the business since 1991. They have adopted new acts, and taken up stage and online shows to cope with the ban on the use of wild animals and the Covid crisis.

Now, in their two-hour shows, the human performers do aerial work, juggling, clowning, bike stunts, acrobatics, rope dance, candle contortion, etc. A small dog show is also on the roster, for which, they have got a performance licence and certificate from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), owner Sujit Dilip claims. “A local doctor visits the dogs daily and we send a monthly report about their heath to AWBI, Delhi,” he says about the mandatory rules. According to reports, Rambo Circus has faced allegations of animal cruelty in the past.

The venue has been running almost packed on weekends, rains notwithstanding, senior clown Biju Pushkaran informs. The weekday footfall is thin but they never cancel a show. “At the end, people tell us the show was ‘paisa vasool’ (worth the money),” adds Biju.

Such as real-estate broker Syed Nooruddin, who was among the few who attended the afternoon show on Wednesday, with his wife and two children (aged six and 11). “I was about 11 years old when I last saw a circus and I am 42 now. The show reminded me of my childhood. My kids were expecting to see the cheetah, lion and monkey but I had told them about the new law. They still liked the show, especially the wheel of death act (performed on a rotating apparatus).”

*On till October 23, at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm, near Kengeri Bus Terminal. Ticket (Rs 150 to Rs 500) available at the venue. Call: 98440 06736