The Balancing Act

“I have achieved a lot in life, more than I had ever dreamt of”, said the seventy-eighth year old world renowned juggler, Abhoy Mitra. He orders his younger daughter, Mohua Sen to get three glasses of pineapple drinks, while chatting about his life’s journey. The wrinkled forehead, the weary body of the old man does not hinder to the fact, that he is still able to showcase some of the finest juggling tactics.

Around 1978, in the month of May, Satyajit Ray was searching for someone who can throw daggers. After searching a lot among the film fraternity, Mr. Ray found Mr. Abhoy Mitra through World famous magician, P.C.Sircar. The latter took Mr. Mitra to his home at the Bishop Lefroy Road. “I was nervous as I started climbing the wooden staircase, the sound of my shoes on the wooden floor made my heart skip a beat for once,” added the enthusiastic Juggler. “Mrs. Bijoya Ray opened the doors once I knocked on the large iron Kodas. She took me directly to the room of the great Director Mr. Ray.”

“Just like Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, Manik da had placed his two legs crossed on the coffee table. He looked at me directly and asked to come and sit near him,” narrated the juggler with a trembled voice. Satyajit Ray asked him whether he knows both juggling and dagger throw. To which he replied that he knew. Once he replied, Mr. Ray asked him to come next day at six with all his equipments and apparatus and showcase his talent in his house. An honored and awe-struck Abhoy Mitra promised to do the same. He went to his place the next day with weight lifter Laxmi Kanto Das .The great director directed him to his own room where Mitra had to show his skills and abilities in jugglery. Satisfied and smiling Satyajit Ray patted his shoulders and roped in him for the famous milestone movie, Jai Baba Felunath, where Abhoy Mitra trained Kamu Mukherjee with the tricks and correct postures. What followed next is history, Abhoy mitra had become a household name during that time. “Satyajit Ray had encouraged and complimented me so much that I felt I was born to do this.”

He can do various kinds of juggling. Mr. Mitra is an expert when it comes to ball juggling, dish whirls, ribbon dancing, sword balancing and various other kinds of jugglery. Therefore from fifteen minutes to about forty-five minutes nonstop he can exhibit the different kinds of the art form.

In the movie Goopi Bagha Phire Elo, directed by the Well-Known director Sandip Ray in the year 1990, Mr. Abhoy Mitra had played a part. Sandip Ray’s Father Satyajit Ray had asked him to perform an act that was exclusive of the art form and something that the country has not seen before. The old Juggler promised his best and catered to the requirement. “The moment Sandip Babu said ‘action’, I started what I do best. With rollers under my feet and a wooden plank, I started fire juggling with my hands. What a day that was. Sandip Babu was very happy and satisfied as well as Mr Satyajit Ray along with his wife Bijoya Debi”.

Abhoy Mitra’s father, Mr. Kaloshona Mitra was his mentor and guide. The latter was the sole reason why Abhoy was attracted and hypnotized with the jugglery form of art. “When I was about five or seven years old; I and my other four siblings got explicit training and knowledge about Jugglery from our Father,” added the old juggler. He lost his father when he was just ten years old. His father was an advocate in Howrah’s Judges Court. His mother had then become the source of inspiration for him. “Never let go off jugglery khoka , don’t let your father’s dream die.” Was what his mother always told him?

An untimely loss of the head of the family, the financial circumstances faced a big blow. He started to take up juggling seriously from the age of eleven. “Maa always told me that one should never look down upon any kind of work. Dignity of labour is the right attitude for survival. And when we have no other options, you have to respect the work you do.” added an emotional Mitra. She woke up young Abhoy and asked her to see outside the window, “when you see the first person outside that window, tell yourself what kind of work he does,” “I did and when I looked outside I saw a sweeper who cleaned domestic toilets every morning in our locality”. “He is a human being too isn’t it? When he can do something so dirty to keep others happy and clean, why can’t you take up any job? There is no job in the world which can be considered menial or important.” the mother trained him this way. He gave up his education to make sure the family gets to eat two meals per day. “I simply wanted to know, how to earn money. We were desperately in need of money as it was tough for my mother to run a family with five sons and a daughter,” murmured Abhoy.

Abhoy and his elder brother started to look for job and ended up working for a hafta job at a local factory; which meant that they were supposed to get one rupee perday that concluded them to earn around seven rupees per week. Since the lawyers and advocates were not entitled to any kinds of pensions and gratuity and slowly engulfed with poverty, the family took to various nominal jobs to at least acquire tow square meals for all. When he was twenty-two years old and was already entangled in work and struggle, he realized that he has not completed his basic education. What struck him most was that nobody was going to respect him ever for being uneducated and not even qualified for the basic degrees. He decided to change that.

With a trembling voice and lively vigor Abhoy went on, “everybody loved me and Dr. Birendranath Khan from East Bengal, my gurudeb from the neighbourhood pushed me and encouraged me to appear for the school final examination.” It took him three months of hard work to come out with flying colours in his School Final examination. Even though he was still working in the factory, a better job opportunity was what Mitra was hunting for. He did not stop there. He appeared for the I.Com examination and Dr. Khan again helped and advice him to undertake this challenge for his own good.

He now was searching for a job more than anything else. After fighting a lot for a job, he bagged himself a job at the Liluah Workshop. What came as a surprise was when Abhoy Mitra’s elder brother found out in his appointment letter that he was roped in as a khalasi or a Coolie at the factory. Mr. Mitra took it very sportingly. He remembered what his mother always taught him, that one should have the dignity for any kind of labour.

He was earning recognition as well as jobs through his ability for juggling. After few years, with loads of events and struggle, Abhoy now was a bank manager at a nationalized bank. A journey from a railway coolie to an established bank manager, Mitra had gone through a series of life changing episodes.  

Once in Ranchi, he was invited to showcase his jugglery. “The only thing that irritates me is when am unable to find out an answer to any question. I am a very curious man.I wanted to see the Asylum in Ranchi. So I requested the organizers who had invited me there to take me to the place for once.” added Mitra. He was really excited and in his mind he had planned to entertain the inmates so before he left for the Asylum, he managed to carry along his apparatus with him. This was in the time of the winter, around November or December in the year 1988. He juggled with his balls, his ribbons. Gradually the inmates came out when they saw the performance. “They started clapping and shouting out of joy and excitement. I wanted to provide them immense happiness and excitement from my art-form. Out of all this I came to realize that with juggling I can satisfy any kind of man, from any sector of the society,” Continued Abhoy Mitra.

In 2006, October the Government of India had sent Mr. Abhoy Mitra and his son Abhisekh Mitra to New Zealand. They were exhibiting jugglery at various cities of the island country. With around five thousand pretty innocent small girls placed as the audience, Mr. Abhoy mitra started juggling and entertaining the assembled spectators of the school. The school was situated at the top of a hill. “Suddenly I saw a wheelchair bound girl coming directly towards me. Even though I was at the middle of an act and could not stop, she managed to pull her wheelchair right beside me, clapping her hands really loud,” “The teachers were really excited and they did not curb her from coming and placing herself beside me.” He never leaves a leaf unturned. He took this opportunity and by dint of hard work he has achieved to deliver a lot of happiness.  “The girl looked at me and smiled. I was twirling two dishes in my hands so what I did was I placed one of the dish on a pointed stick on the girl’s hand,” “She was so excited and I could only see and hear the cameras going all click ! click! Here and there.”

In July 1991, he visited Paris. This was a really different kind of show as Government of France had invited him to deliver and cater his skills to the audience. Here there was a rule of silent skill entertainment. There were no provisions for mike. Mr. Mitra continued, “They only had green and red lights, once fifteen minutes are over, the artist on the stage has to stop as the green light goes red.” “We were not supposed to have any assistants there. Kept my apparatus on the table and went on the stage. Musical instruments were playing at the background and I started juggling. Approximately twenty five to thirty thousands people were present there as spectators. As soon as the green lights went red I shouted out, ‘shall I stop?’ and the audience roared ‘no carry on’ and hence I continued for another half an hour and I am not one to let go of an opportunity.” That was an achievement in the true sense of the term. He had a total of twenty-one shows in Paris.

In his entire lifetime, Abhoy Mitra has done more than 5000 shows. He has been performing juggling shows for the last sixty years. “I have carried out both my juggling as well as my Bank job.” Murmured Mitra.

Somebody had asked him once, “Sir how did you managed juggling and banking together?” to which he replied, “I have juggled my entire life madam, I have shuffled nine jobs altogether in my life before I got into the bank.” Mr. Abhoy Mitra is an extremely free-spirited man and then we he discusses how he thought of resigning from the managerial post because he had to go to Paris for his shows keeping a pause to his bank job; it becomes evident that Juggling has become synonymous with his identity. “There is so many bank managers in India but there is only one Juggler, let me go Sir, I won’t regret leaving the job,” Mr. Mitra had requested his boss but he then he managed to keep both the responsibilities with God’s grace.

He always wanted to do something for the young people who had special knack for Juggling. Mr. Mitra thought of paving new channels for people who can earn some money through juggling. This had given him an impetus to come up with two Academies for Juggling. One of the dreams that have come true and he are extremely thankful to all for the support. “I miss my wife the most now. She passed away two years back but the support she had rendered is beyond any statement.” Abhoy narrates wiping off the tears rolling down his wrinkled cheeks.

One of the institutes is located near Maidan behind Fort William Area. “The Boy’s scout of Bengal had given me the chance to come up with my institute in that area is thankful Dr.Barun Sil for rendering me the chance.” With his initiative some people have taken up juggling professionally and they are also able to run a family of there own. “If you can earn money by dancing or magic shows, then why not juggling?”

He also trains little boys at the AdhyaPith Temple area. On request of Br Mural bhai , Mr.Abhoy Mitra has started his second academy in Dakshineswar area. They have come up with more than 150 television shows with those little boys. Every 12^th January, on Swami Vivekananda’s Birthday He used to do shows after the Evening Aarti.

“I had got chance to show my juggling skills at the Manovikash Kendra near park Street, Kolkata,” he continued, “The innocent children came and hugged me from all over. Ami pore jabore was only what I had uttered as shortly I realized what immense happiness and different experience I had catered to them.” These are his real achievements.

“In present this kind of art is completely neglected,” the old man complained. All his children are jugglers as well as his grand children. Starting from his father Mr.Kaloshona Mitra to his own daughters Mohua Sen, Abhisekh Mitra and his grandchildren. Everyone is blessed with this special skill of juggling.

There is only one regret in his life. A sense of lament creeps in that even though he has visited many countries, represented India in various Exhibitions and Events all over the world, the Government has never felicitated him or acknowledged his deserved respect. “I tell myself, I have this in my heart that it’s never too late; may be someday my country, my Government will pay me back”.

The young eight year old grandson of Abhoy Mitra, Baibhab Sen is in awe of his Dadu. For him he is a hero.Baibhab too has inherited from his grandfather and talented mother, Mohua Sen. He too has an inclination towards the various tricks and balancing tactics for juggling. “I can juggle too. I am good with the ribbon juggling and dish juggling”.

“If I was not a juggler, then I would have been a banker, only a banker throughout my life. And that would have been a sad life for me. I am happy with my life, even though I could have done many things but still I am happy today.” He misses his wife a lot and that was inevitable from his emotional change and teary eyes whenever he spoke of her. He wants to transform his Uttarpara house into a school where young children can become jugglers of tomorrow. The academy will be named after his wife.

He is writing a book and has already published three books on juggling. He has also written CHOTODER CHHORA on juggling, “Duniyar Shob Shishu, aye chhute aye, juggling khela kori, eii duniyae”. Abhoy Mitra is a religious man and every day he starts his day praying, helping poor people and practicing his skills even today.

“I want to donate all my money to the people in both cities and villages. I don’t want to keep anything.” He distributes warm clothes and blankets to poor people every year in his locale in memory of his wife Rita Mitra. “May be my wife is happy up there to see me do this as she was really caring towards these poor people.” Added the beloved husband.

Mohua Sen, younger daughter of Abhoy Mitra is woman of few words. “I don’t even know when I started juggling; Watching my siblings and father juggle I have had learned the skill without even knowing,” she adds smiling proudly at her father. Along with her elder sister and Father, Mohua had performed in front of Mother Teresa in her Nirmala Shishu Bhavan premises for five consecutive years.

Abhoy Mitra is Seventy-eight years old but he still dreams a lot. He says that he dreams about his beloved wife. He feels that he has achieved a lot in his life from performing in Satyajit Ray’s movies to opening up academies, from bringing up three children to catering to the poor and even publishing books on Juggling. Mr. Abhoy Mitra is a man who has balanced life, family and his passion with equal determination and zeal.