With the lockdown in place to curb the spread of coronavirus cases across the country, over 100 people employed with Rambo Circus are stranded at Airoli's Kadi Maidan in Navi Mumbai. With no shows happening, these circus members are going through tough times and they are killing time by practicing indoors.(All photos/Pradeep Dhivar)
Updated On: 2020-04-05 08:30 AM IST
While life has come to a standstill in Mumbai, over 100 people including 60 men, 30 women, 10 children, 19 dogs and a pony, all members of the famous Rambo Circus have been stuck at Kadi Maidan in Airoli due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown.
After Prime Minister Narendra called for a 21-day nationwife lockdown, the popular Rambo Circus also stopped its operations. The two shows daily that took care of of the livelihood of over 100 people were called off leaving the crew helpless and with no income at all.
The Rambo Circus crew are being helped by locals amid the total loss of business and livelihood due to the coronavirus crisis. Thane Collector and NMMC have stepped in along with NGOs. The crew has been provided with potable water (10,000 litres) while local gurdwaras and residents are helping them with fruits and spices.
In photo: The Rambo Circus set paints a deserted look at Airoli's Kadi Maidan.
Dilip, who has been keeping the age-old circus art alive has even written to the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister seeking their intervention. He has also sought a bank loan of around Rs 10-15 lakh to be able to pay his staff amid the coronavirus crisis.
A few days before the lockdown, the Rambo Circus crew was supposed to go abroad for some shows in collaboration with the Moscow State Circus but the novel coronavirus pandemic derailed their plans.
While speaking to mid-day, Dilip said that he is facing difficulty taking care of the domestic animals, and also mentioned that the circus has a daily fund requirement of almost Rs 25,000. He also said that the have been disinfecting the circus tents regularly and the place of residence of the Rambo Circus members.
In photo: A member of the Rambo Circus group snapped while taking a walk around the circus tent.
While speaking to mid-day, Narendra Kumar, 24-year-old manager of the circus, said, "We have not received our payment for one month but our owner has ensured that none of us go to sleep hungry." He also said that the crew has been asked not to step out of the tent area while work has been divided among everyone - from cooking to cleaning utensils to feeding animals and so on.
The Rambo Circus was born on January 26, 1991, when three well-known circuses - the Arena Circus, the Victoria Circus and the Great Oriental Circus were merged. T P Dilip, the owner of Rambo Circus was employed with Arena Circus since he was 18 and in 1980, after Arena shut down, all other circuses started incurring losses. During the helm of its affair, the circus employed 300 staff at the time.
Amid lockdown, the members of Rambo Circus have been spending their quarantine time practicing their art and acing their skills as they keep their spirits high in the hope of the lockdown ending soon.
