From street to stage, check out 'Dilli Ka Bioscope'

A man dances standing on two glasses while balancing seven earthen pots placed atop a steel glass on his head. Two young children attempt to pass through a small ring while performing impossible contortions. A puppet matches steps with a woman performing Rajasthani folk dance – you see these performers on the street, in melas, and lately on reality shows. And while they've caught your attention with their daredevilry, would you buy a ticket to go watch their performances like, say, you would for a Bharatanatyam or Kathak recital?

That's what Navina Jafa, Vice-President of Centre for New Perspectives (CNP), a Delhi-based think tank, is hoping to get people to do. Earlier this month, their latest project, Tama-Show, mounted a preview of Dilli Ka Bioscope – a 90-minute production curated by Kathak-maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj involving 35 street performers. Ten of the acts include puppetry, magic, acrobatics, mime, martial arts, folk songs and dance, storytelling and impersonation.

World tours, empty coffers

"Many performing arts like magic, snake charming, juggling and acrobatics are passed on generation after generation as a heritage in tribal communities, but sadly they rarely receive recognition. We say unity in diversity, but don't practise it. I've earned 20th rank among world magicians and have toured half the globe, but still live below the poverty line and on debt," says 46-year-old magician Ishamudin Khan, Founder of Indian Street Performers' Association Trust (ISPAT). He has toured across Europe and Asia performing rope tricks.

Several others, who come from various parts of north India, live in the slums of west Delhi even though they've travelled around India and abroad to perform. Mukesh Nat, 27, who jumps through a structure circled with knives while doing acrobatics, lives in Delhi's famed Kathputli colony that has been facing demolition for years. Nat has "performed at festivals in Dubai and Europe and won on the reality show Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega. But they happen once in way. The rest of the time, we do roadshows in and around Delhi, along with a few birthday party invites," he says. Nat wants his kids to get a good education. Street performers are invited for prestigious cultural events like Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, but have no steady source of income.

Platform for change

Jafa hopes Tama-Show, which will put out various productions weaving a number of these art forms into a narrative, will be the solution. "There will be performances in schools and events organised by the government tourism departments, corporate houses and private citizens," she informs. It sounds like a good plan, but there will be challenges ahead. Going by the preview, Dilli Ka Bioscope appeared like a series of individual performances that lacked a strong narrative to bind it. Audiences were hooked, but barely anyone was laughing at the weak punchlines.

"There is a need for upgrading skill," admits Jafa. "I spent two-three hours with them for a couple of days and told them how they could refine their performance. They just need a platform to collaborate," says Maharaj, who believes there's a demand, especially in schools where children are intrigued by magic and must learn acrobatics. "They have been performing individually and we have to curb this," adds Jafa, who wants to open a Tama-Show skill school to teach these folk arts. CNP also wants to ensure that the artists are allowed to perform in open spaces. "At present, they face issues while busking. We want to work with the government to figure out a solution," says CNP Director Shailaja Kathuria.

As for the dangers of performing with swords and fire, dancing on broken glasses and jumping through a ring fixed with sharp knives, Jafa says, the idea of a spectacle has always held appeal—which is why people go to watch horror movies.

CNP began the Tama-Show initiative after their survey showed that there's a niche in the entertainment industry for street performers. She's also inspired by a similar experiment in Cambodia, an enterprise worth $1.9 million today. But whether it can be replicated in India remains to be seen.