In Pictures: A ringside view of the Rambo Circus tent in Mumbai

"I've never been to the circus," I blurted to a colleague recently. Her reaction had me so embarrassed that "visit a circus" was promptly added to the bucket list, and was the first to be knocked off since Rambo Circus is in town.

Until then, my only window to the world of  circus  was limited to the madari ka khel (monkey tricks), watching a child walk on a  tight rope , Mera Naam Joker (1970) on the big screen and Circus (1989) on the small one — both tales of entertainers with tragic lives. I was cagey. And out-of-place when I stepped inside the near-empty, striped shamiana, packed with excited tots who made me feel ancient. Fortunately, my anticipation soared as the acrobats climbed the overhead ladders for their first act. Their 'leaps of faith' timed by a single clap, transported me to neverland.

A child gapes during an aerial act

The Indian acts were high on drama. Every swing, spin and pirouette by trapeze artists and contortionists stood out because of their glowing neon bodysuits. 

The water guy perhaps, had the belly of a camel. Courtesy his a la-Rajnikant act to the upbeat Aaj Blue Hai Pani Pani. He drank one cup of red liquid, guzzled a large jug of clear water, followed by a cup of green liquid and another full jug — in one go. And then did the impossible — he threw up everything as a red spray in one jug and green into another!

The ‘water guy’ spills out two separate jugs of coloured water he had guzzled minutes earlier

A slew of not-so-slim performers surprised me with their agility. Like the hula hoop girl who swirled seven rings around her belly. Or the gymnast who danced to Madhuri Dixit's Aaja Nachle, juggled rings and climbed a ladder — all while balancing on an oscillating tightrope. Or the trapeze artist, who twirled like a spinning top from a scarf around her neck in mid-air!

A gymnast adds adventure to an already precarious tightrope act

The action ka tadka came with the international acts. Acrobalance by four Ethiopians — two on their backs, tossed, spun, flung the other two high up to somersault using only their palms, knees and soles; dapper Colombians on the Double Wheel of Death — a rotating apparatus — with acrobats running inside the wheel like hamsters to control momentum, while the 'stars' indulged in death-defying acts by skipping a rope on the exterior; after an Uzbek couple took to the stage, the woman changed more than 15 outfits in a matter of seconds; the highlight was her change when doused with shiny paper flakes. The Uzbek man balanced a multitude of things, from a candelabra on a balloon, to a rose on the razor-sharp blade of a knife held in his mouth.

An Uzbek circus artist  maintains focus while balancing a rose at the edge of a knife during an act 

While Indian artists nailed it skill-wise, the disappointment of performing to a not-so-full house showed on their faces. But the firangs had their pasted smiles and confident stance on.

Ethiopian acrobats perform in synchrony

Perhaps, better remuneration and accommodation would instil a similar 'the-show-must-go-on'attitude among the Indians. This differing perception — 'glass half full or empty' — is likely the result of the government not acknowledging 'circus' as a serious craft. While the ban on child artistes and animals is plausible, it is the chief reason why crowds at Rambo have dampened. Adding to it's lack of popularity are the average-quality samosas and popcorn and toilets with doors difficult to shut.

Colombian acrobats indulge in daredevilry on the Double Wheel of Death

Beyond this nit-picking, the circus is a fantastical diversion from the everyday mundane. Not yet a Cirque du Soleil experience, the Rambo Circus did make me laugh, applaud, hoot, gasp, cheer, gape and pose with the clown who went around clicking Polaroids. It brought out the child in me. 

The circus may no longer have roaring tigers, blindfolded magicians flinging knives at a damsel and people being sawed in half. But acts which have outlived these managed to contort my mind into believing that magic is very much alive.

(Rambo Circus is on at the Reclamation Grounds, Bandra until December 16. It will then shift to Dr Arun Kumar Vaidya Maidan in Borivali for 45 days. Tickets on www.bookmyshow.com)