Devotees at Surajkund, Hazaribagh. (Vishvendu Jaipuriar)

Every night after 10pm, footfall increases at Surajkund Mela in Barkatha. Not for the innumerable stalls selling sundry items, but for a certain theatre that has more to do with dancing than acting.

The New India Theatre, part of the famous fair that is on at the holy place — famous for its hot springs having healing properties — till January 30, has set tongues wagging with many claiming that more goes on at the venue under the garb of entertainment. Girls, 12 in all, dance till the break of dawn while the audience comprises only men. The cheap tickets — Rs 100 for one — mean that there is no dearth of visitors with people coming from even neighbouring states like Bihar. On any given day, 2,000 tickets are sold.

Although the organisers trashed the “vulgarity” allegations, saying that the dances were meant to strictly entertain the crowd, the performers themselves claim otherwise.

“No one comes to see the dance, but us. On many occasions, the men come up with indecent demands. The hooting and the crude comments during the performances make it clear what the audience wants from us. Logo ko hamara dard nahi dikhta (People do not notice our pain),” admitted Khushboo, a dancer from a Hooghly village in Bengal.

Asked why she then lets herself go through this trauma, the 26-year-old said: “If I don’t do this, I will have to go hungry. My husband dumped me two years after our marriage. I went back to my father’s house, where my step-mother tortured me regularly. One day, I came in touch with the theatre owner, who asked me whether I was ready to earn a living by dancing. I took up the offer.”

Unlike Khushboo, Asha, another dancer, is married and even has her husband Krishna by her side. The couple from Maharashtra joined the theatre group to eke out a living. “Our’s was a love marriage. But our families did not our relationship and severed all ties with us,” Krishna, who helps organise the shows, said.

Though the dancers refused to say how much money they get, insiders said the payment ranged between Rs 7,000 and Rs 7,500 per month.

As for visitors, they could not have asked for more at Rs 100. “The theatre remains open during the day too but very few people come to see the dances. The real attraction is the night shows,” said a youth from Nawada in Bihar, who came to the show with friends.

“Everyone knows what it is all about. Had it been just simple dance shows, nobody would have come,” claimed a 22-year-old from Barkatha.

Barhi sub-divisional officer Mayukh said: “Last year, we asked the organisers to wind up the theatre after receiving complaints of vulgarity. This year, they were given permission on the ground that they will not promote indecency. Till now, we have not received any complaint.”