Everybody loves this circus clown

April 19, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:40 am IST - Palakkad:

Thulasidas Chaudhury being felicitated by members of the circus group. —Photo: K. K. Mustafah

Thulasidas Chaudhury being felicitated by members of the circus group. —Photo: K. K. Mustafah

Circus, which enthralled generations of childhoods, may be going downhill as a showstopper fun act, but here to stay as an icon of cheer is the evergreen ‘joker.’ Everyone still loves the clown, even in this age of malls, multiplexes, and MNC food chains.

Thulasidas Chaudhary has seen circus sliding down the popularity curve. Fifty years ago, when he began work as a teenager with the Bombay Circus, the circus tents were synonymous to the clamour of chaos. Now, in his sixties, he finds them quieter. Still, the clown is sought after, he says, sitting in the tent put up at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Palakkad where the circus is currently playing.

Born in Chakanya in Chapra district of Bihar, he joined the circus at the age of 13. His father, who was a businessman in Kolkata, died at an early age and it was Chaudhury’s responsibility to look after the family.

“I have studied only up to the seventh standard. It was by sheer accident that I saw a hoarding of the Bombay Circus company and got attracted to it,’’ he recalls.

The circus was having its shows on the main road that led to his school. He was amused to find dwarfs entertaining the audience at the show, and began spending time after school at the circus. Later, uninterested in schoolwork, he joined the circus. 

Soon, he was introduced to Balagopal and Baburao Kadam, the then owners of the circus. Enticed by their care, he developed trust for them and later joined the circus. They told his family members that they will look after him. Yet, after he completed six months at the company, his brothers brought him back home. But Thulasidas couldn’t stay at his home. The circus was his true calling.

Initially, life at the circus proved tough. He started with basic exercises and acrobatics. Not confident about performing, he wanted to run away from the circus. The performances included spring net clown act and chair acrobatic act. Slowly, he learnt the ropes.

He used do somersault acts and acrobatic acts, which were simple and basic. He kept doing them till a few years ago, when age started catching up.

Now, he does the clown acts and comedy magic act (doll). His regret, however, is he could not hold the rope with his fingers and hence could not perform the flying trapeze clown act.

Whatever, making the audience laugh has been Thulasidas’s job and he is happy he did it with élan.

“Even when I really cry the audience thinks I am acting to make them laugh! I have my own sorrows but it is my duty to make others laugh which I have done successfully for the past 50 years and will continue to do so till my last breath!” he says. 

Thulasidas Chaudhary has been making people laugh for 50 years and would like to do so till his last breath.

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