‘Life is a Circus’

“Behind the curtain there is different universe, a world of people who are living far from the crowd, the people who serve entertainment daily as an artist. Circus people’s life itself a mystery as their performance never can define their inner world and mysticism. A Group of shining artists are surviving in the world of circus everyday by the continual competition of entertainment world of Bangladesh. Big audiences showed them reverse appearance already but still they are moving continually with their glorious history. This nomad performers moves monthly from place to place, their dreams shaped as their house moved like each month. By their hand they demolish their own house for taking place it in another territory for another month again by their labor. Still they only bother for their performance. Nor money neither fame touches their feet. To them life is circus, they are performer of life’s stage.”

– GMB Akash

In front of the bar locked gate curious crowd of children are permanent who never get chance to enter. Circus placed usually in large space as atleast 60-100 people has to accommodate their temporary housing and the stage has to build within the space they belong too.  So the circus usually placed in big, empty spaces which are mostly far from the city, run by big generators. 

A teenage performer Sharmin (13) was locating her makeup box in the tiny room of her which has been separated by a curtain as in the other side her parents use to sleep. She said, ‘The sad thing is my mirror broke while my father demolished our previous house. It takes one day to build this new house. Now this is my new home for next one month’. Sharmin was just three years old while she performed first time with her mother. Her mother and grandmother both are passing their life in circus. Sharmin has 15 different dresses for performing in stage. She has her instructor who taught her different plays, while answering she giggled, ‘My Guru beaten me more than our donkey. Circus donkey and I attend same class and perform same time. I fall down many times and got hurt but you know, an artist has to suffer lot, my guru told me so, that’s why I never bother. One day I will be the best performer.’ Sharmin gets 2000 tk monthly. She along her four family members all are occupied in circus.

Eleven months these artist works and one month they get vacation. Company hires them for one year, after one year their contract renews by the time. The company is responsible for two-time food of all artists, for 6 days food are lentil, rice and smash potato, rest one day fish and vegetable. For moving from one place to another company send their track, performer break their own house and move for new place. In the new place they build their house again by themselves.

Sharmin’s mother Shilpi shared ‘I born in circus. Circus is my family and so my blood belongs to it. Three of my daughters are in circus. What else we can do? Sometimes I feel to know the world behind the gate, but then I feel that world is not for us. I belong to circus, circus given life to my creativity and I will one day die like my mother by giving birth of my best performance’. Just nearby Sharmin’s tent another lady Shipra loadly pronounce, ‘What you are looking for? The makeup is my veil. Before starting of the music we are one kind of person after hearing the announcement of show we are far different from the person you are interviewing now.’

The man can sallow 20-25 fishes and can bring them out alive from his body, Bijon said ‘For mentoring cricketer, footballer, dancer, singer government brings many persons from aboard, but here in Opera or for Circus no one brings anyone. We only create ourselves, we only show ourselves, and we only stand by ourselves. For us nobody cares.’

While Selina was wearing her makeup whispered, ‘I am no longer an ordinary girl. Now I will fly over everyone’. Coming back from the stage after her 10min performance, Selina recklessly said, ‘Sometime audiences pass bad comments on us. I dnt bother and no other girl bother here. Stop letting other people influence your attitude, your hope, your potential to do something great. Stop worrying and start doing.’

Heena (38) singing song loudly while sewing her traditional blanket with her fresh make up. ‘Its my daily life, we dont mix with outside men, I like no one from my circus team, so I am still a single and happily living my life” Announcer announced her name she swiftly kept her blanket in a bench touches the platform of circus with respect, within a second she go top of the pang and scrolled slide down her head, with a jump she come down by catching another rope. Screaming of audiences seems no reaction on Heena’s face. She came back, seat in her bench, started sewing the blanket and replied “What else you want to ask? We are human just like you, as like your sister or as your mother. “

At the ending day Lilliputian Shre Anil Chandra (50) was packing his things. A lone man has nothing much than gifts from different villages. The man who made jokes throughout plays is very silent in back stage. Talk less, share less. His bed and his trunk is his property. “World is round. We move from place to place. Women of circus sometimes cry but men never. I wait to go to a new place to see new audiences. I enjoy my gypsy life’.

“This is not the ending. Circus will rise in another place, in another village. Children of that village will run to the gate again. Vendors will seat to attract customers again. Circus artists will avail their charismatic techniques for another jaw dropping performance.  Audiences from far and near will encircle the area. Heena might finish her sewing by the time; Sharmin might get a new mirror from her mother. Never ends, never be lost – Life is a Circus”

– GMB Akash

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Tags: Art in Asia, arts, Bangladeshi Circus, circus performers, Circus., color photography, culture, entertainment, Gmb Akash, Heritage, life of artist, rural culture of Bangladesh, South Asia entertainment, south Asian attraction, south Asian culture

• February 24, 2013
• Survivors
• 21 comments