Rambo Circus fly battles COVID-19, struggle to look after 100-plus crew

Founder of the iconic Rambo Circus T P Dilip who just won his battle against COVID19 continues to be in the critical care unit of Ruby Hall hospital in Pune to undergo dialysis for his renal failure The 72yearolds two children a granddaughter and two male servants also tested positive for COVID soonThis was amid an already challenging situation at the circus front owing to the lockdown Around 100 crew members of the circus 60 men 30 women and their 10 children have been stuck without work for months now A number of NGOs and social workers have been providing them rationIn the past four months this is the second time I have put myself in selfquarantine The first time was in February when I returned from Russia for a dialogue with Moscow State Circus and now when my sister myself and my nineyearold niece were quarantined after testing positive said Sujit Dilips son adding that this happened despite taking all precautions My dad was the first to get infected All measures were taken to maintain social distancing outside and ensure hygiene at homeSujit said that his father undergoes regular medical checkups for his sugar and creatinine levels but it could not be done in the last four months due to the lockdown A fortnight ago he developed weakness and an upset stomach after which he was tested Sujit saidT P Dilip founderowner of Rambo CircusLockdown challengeWith no circus income for over three months Sujit said the daily expenses up to Rs 25000 have been a struggle I also have to take care of the crew They are artistes not machines I have to take care of each of my extended family members he said adding In the past three months I had to spend around Rs 2550 lakh only to ensure that everyone is taken care of A lot of funds came from donations tooSujits letter to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister seeking their intervention in providing aid to the circus has also not received any response He had sought a loan of up to Rs 15 lakh for the maintenance of the circusAllied businesses take a hitMustaq Qureshi alias Munna Bhai who runs a canteen in Rambo Circus said It has been very difficult to survive with no income The circus business has been facing many challenges over the last few decades I earlier supplied mutton for the wild animals but after restrictions on using wild animals I lost my businessMahesh Nair 65 a resident of Ahmedabad and a close friend of the family said It is unfortunate that the family had to go through this ordeal at a time when the circus is already going through a rough patchLast hopeThe family had also encountered a sponsor who wanted Rambo Circus to come up with shows in collaboration with Moscow State Circus The meeting went well too but the pandemic derailed all plans Our online discussions are still on Sujit said adding In Russia slowly life is becoming normal and even circuses are opening upSujit hopes that by September shows can resume on a small scale with restrictions and social distancing high standards of hygieneRs 2550 lakhAmount Sujit spent in last three months to provide for circus crewRambo circusRambo Circus was formed on January 26 1991 by merging three wellknown circuses Arena Circus Victoria Circus and Great Oriental Circus T P Dilip was employed with Arena Circus since he was 18 years old It once employed 300 staffCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news