India's affair with the circus, its love, and later, disdain for it, took root in December 1879. Giuseppe Chiarini, from Italy, had brought the Royal Italian Circus to Mumbai, camping out at Maidan near what is now Mumbai's Victoria Terminus. Chiarini cast a spell on his audience, who were fascinated by how the animals pranced about and performed unimaginable stunts.
Over the decades that followed, Europe's numerous travelling circuses stopped over in India, regaling thousands with astonishing feats and mind-boggling acts. India decidedly fell in love with the circus, spawning its own industry that thrived until about the early 1990s. From 300-odd native troupes then, the number has dropped to around 30 today. No wonder Rajesh Mudki is over the moon as Cirque du Soleil hits Indian shores for the first time. "I believe India is more than ready to rediscover circus art," he says.
Mudki is one of the 30 performers and musicians along with fellow mallakhamb (the Indian sport of aerial yoga and gymnastics that revolves around a pole or khamba) artist Kalpesh Jadhav. They are the only Indians who will take their place under Cirque du Soleil's iconic Big Top in Mumbai and New Delhi this winter for Bazzar, which premiered on Thursday at Bandra's MMRDA Grounds. This is the Canadian company's first foray into India and a rare occasion because Cirque almost never debuts a new show outside of Montreal, its home turf. But making history calls for new strides and India can't wait.
“Cirque du Soleil is nothing like the Indian population has seen before, but I’m confident we will give it a warm welcome,” says Mudki. “India has a great thirst for entertainment with its thriving film industry and long-standing tradition of circus. I believe Cirque du Soleil is complementary to Bollywood movies – it is so creative and advanced that Indian audiences already have an open mind to art and creativity.”
Mudki is an accomplished practitioner – he trained for 25 years at the Sane Guruji Fitness School of Mumbai, in mallakhamb, yoga, aerial rope, gymnastics and acrobatics. He has also been part of the Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company. To perform with Cirque is the next-level dream he has been nurturing since 2006, when he watched them for the first time. "My eyes popped out," he says. "So, as a mallakhamb artist born and raised in Mumbai, having the world premiere here and touring in India is exalting."
Apart from performing, Mudki also co-founded the mallakhamb India team in 2006 to increase awareness about the sport in India and abroad. He travels regularly with his team to perform for international companies and organisations, and also does television shows. "I'm deeply involved in my discipline and its future."
Bazzar's incorporation of a native act demonstrates its seriousness in tapping the Indian market. The shows, which will run daily, apart from specific days in between and already nearly sold out; to give you a brief idea, that's close to 1,500 viewers per show, over a period of about seven weeks. This hype has boosted Cirque's confidence in its growth and popularity in India.
"We offer a highly emotional and compelling form of entertainment," says show director Susan Gaudreau, who choreographed Kurios by Cirque du Soleil. "Our shows take the traditional circus arts to a whole new level, mixing state-of-the-art costumes, captivating music and impressive staging, which give a complete and impressive theatrical experience. Bazzar is a show created to introduce the brand to audiences who are not familiar with us. It features classic acrobatic disciplines, plus, we offer the Indian audience the chance to live the genuine little Big Top experience."
Apart from acts featuring teeterboard, portage, acrobatic bikes, contortions, duo roller skating, duo trapeze, aerial rope and slackline, audiences will also enjoy fire-breathing and stilt-walking – a nod to the origins of the company as well as traditional circus themes. Vibrant colours, exhilarating music and evoking the madness and beauty of a classic bazaar are scattered throughout the teaser.
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Read more:
Cirque du Soleil celebrates Saudi National Day in Riyadh
La Perle anniversary: death-defying circus still pulling tricks
Cirque du Soleil Saudi show to go on despite rift between Canada and the Kingdom
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"In a place where the unexpected is expected, the colourful group imagines, builds and invents vibrant scenes in an artistic and acrobatic game," says Gaudreau. "Bazzar is colourful and rich with fun characters who invite the audience into their world. I was inspired to create a show that paid homage to the roots of Cirque. I took into consideration the beginnings of where this group of street performers began and aimed to add key elements of their original performance skills. For instance, [Cirque co-founder] Guy Laliberte was a fire-breather and I have a fire performer in the show. What I was trying to recreate was a sense of a core troupe who get together and create."
Characters include the Maestro, the Floating Woman, the Grand Ame and the Mini Maestro, accompanied by a troupe of fabulously talented artists. "We pushed their individuality and raw performance itself – strength, flexibility, whatever makes them amazing – to the forefront," says creative director Marie-Helene Delage. This also includes live music and an original score, a frenzied combination of varied genres, particularly Indian rhythms, with percussions, electronica, folk and pop. So, the saxophone melds with the ukulele, piano with flutes and acoustic guitar with the banjo.
Gaudreau, however, is most excited about the duo mallakhamb act, which is a first for the Canadian entertainment company. "We created an incredible fusion of mallakhamb and dance in a strong performance set to an original musical score," she says. "It is a celebration of the art form, an incredible fusion with dance showing a strong spiritual vision of mallakhamb."
“I’m also looking forward to seeing the audience leave feeling as though they just witnessed the behind-the-scenes of a Cirque du Soleil show, as if they were a member of the eclectic troupe that put together the show; the energy and invigorating feeling the creative process can leave me with,” Gaudreau says.
Bazzar is scheduled to visit more than 400 cities. Its India run ends in New Delhi on January 6
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
%3Cp%3ECory%20Sandhagen%20v%20Umar%20Nurmagomedov%0D%3Cbr%3ENick%20Diaz%20v%20Vicente%20Luque%0D%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Chiesa%20v%20Tony%20Ferguson%0D%3Cbr%3EDeiveson%20Figueiredo%20v%20Marlon%20Vera%0D%3Cbr%3EMackenzie%20Dern%20v%20Loopy%20Godinez%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETickets%20for%20the%20August%203%20Fight%20Night%2C%20held%20in%20partnership%20with%20the%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20went%20on%20sale%20earlier%20this%20month%2C%20through%20www.etihadarena.ae%20and%20www.ticketmaster.ae.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
KLOPP%20AT%20LIVERPOOL
%3Cp%3EYears%3A%20October%202015%20-%20June%202024%3Cbr%3ETotal%20games%3A%20491%3Cbr%3EWin%20percentage%3A%2060.9%25%3Cbr%3EMajor%20trophies%3A%206%20(Premier%20League%20x%201%2C%20Champions%20League%20x%201%2C%20FA%20Cup%20x%201%2C%20League%20Cup%20x%202%2C%20Fifa%20Club%20World%20Cup%20x1)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Abu Dhabi Card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,400m
National selection: AF Mohanak
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 1,400m
National selection: Jayide Al Boraq
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 100,000 1,400m
National selection: Rocket Power
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh 180,000 1,600m
National selection: Ihtesham
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,600m
National selection: Noof KB
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 2.200m
National selection: EL Faust
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Barack Beach, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Woodditton, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Secret Trade, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mark Of Approval, Antonio Fresu, Mahmood Hussain.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tradesman, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
'Nope'
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