Kamala Circus

Kamala Circus is part of Kerala's tradition of family-run traveling circuses, an industry that has sharply declined in India since its 20th-century heyday. Many historic companies have closed or drastically scaled back as audiences shifted to movies and digital entertainment.

Kerala, and the town of Thalassery in particular, is regarded as the cradle of Indian circus thanks to Keeleri Kunhikannan, who opened a circus training school there in the late 19th century. Generations of Indian circus performers, including companies like Kamala Circus, trace their roots to this Kerala tradition.

Largely no. India progressively restricted the use of wild animals such as lions, tigers, bears, and monkeys in circuses from the late 1990s onward, forcing traditional shows like Kamala Circus to rebuild programs around human performers. Modern Indian circus acts emphasize acrobatics, aerial work, and clowning instead.

It is one of several family-run Kerala-connected companies in a field that also included bigger names like Jumbo Circus and the Great Bombay Circus. These troupes once toured the entire subcontinent with tents seating thousands, forming the backbone of India's circus tradition.