Circus: An Endangered Craft
Highlighting the unique artistry and cultural significance of circus performances in Maharashtra’s Pune. Through this study, we explored how at present, the circus industry in India has come to the verge of extinction as a result of technological advancements and legislative reforms, and with the impact of the Pandemic on the circus industry.
(Photo Essay on Rambo Circus, Pune)
In India’s kaleidoscopic paint of a rich cultural history, expressions of popular forms in performative arts for entertainment has continued to provide a mirror reflection of our diverse social landscape. Countless art and traditional craft forms pushed boundaries of creative expressionism across generations, while some expressive forms stood the tide of time, others were washed away.
“Circus”, as one of the expressive forms that stood out, long before digital media and smartphone engulfed our children’s psychological attention, was nothing less than a ‘carnival of amusement’.
In a recent field study undertaken by our Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) Visual Storyboard team, we spoke-and interacted with numerous artists of the Circus near Maharashtra’s Pune.