The return of the circus

The circus was one of the most sought-after outings for Indian children in the eighties and the nineties. But, over the years, with people preferring new forms of entertainment, and stiff competition from multiplexes and malls, it has almost disappeared.

However, with Canadian entertainment company Cirque Du Soleil, famous for its world-class acrobatics, set for its India debut, the circus could see a comeback here. Its 43rd production, “Bazzar” will open on November 15 in Mumbai, making it the company’s first ever touring show to premier outside Canada. The show will then move to Delhi before heading to other countries.

A crew of 62 will travel to India and perform in its big-tent format with a seating capacity of around 1,500. The ticket prices range from Rs 1,250 to Rs 12,500. In India, Cirque is partnering with BookMyShow.

Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque Du Soleil, said they had been waiting for the right time and the right partner to come along. “We have now found the right partner in BookMyShow, and the time is right,” he says.

Two Indian artists will be performing at the show, which will feature Mallakhamb, an ancient art form which combines wrestling, gymnastics and aerial yoga.

In the last few years, the focus on live performance events that are not music concerts has been growing. Several companies have placed their bets on theatricals, musicals and large-scale plays. Shows such as ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Aladdin’ by Disney, and ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ by NCPA and Shapoorji Pallonji were a runaway success.

“If you look at all the segments of the media industry, events are growing at 15% CAGR while the industry is growing at 13%. Within events ticketed events are growing even faster,” says Ashish Pherwani, leader, media and entertainment, EY. According to a FICCI and EY media and entertainment report, live event industry will be worth Rs109 billion by 2020.

“Growing affluence and travelling has helped and build an appetite for such shows but there was little access to them earlier,” says Albert Almeida chief operating officer, non-movies, at BookMyShow.

The government, too, is making efforts to bring companies such as Cirque to India to boost tourism.

Vijay Gautam, principal secretary, department of tourism, Maharashtra government, says this (Bazzar) project is the beginning of single window clearances for events in the state. “We are in process of developing a portal for single window clearance for all events… It will be introduced in the next couple of months,” he says, adding that Cirque Du Soleil’s show will give a boost to the state’s tourism.

Given the indicators of robust growth in demand for such shows going forward, it is no surprise that Cirque Du Soleil is looking at a longer relationship with India that extends beyond just ‘Bazzar’. Lamarre says the show will be the first in a series of touring shows that will come to India. “Normally, we go to a city five times with a touring show before we decide on setting up a permanent show there… My dream is to build a home in India for Cirque Du Soleil,” he adds. For the company, India is a priority market, in addition to China.