Kannan Bombayo
Born in 1907 in Tellicherry (now Thalassery), N.P. Kunchikannan—affectionately called Kunchy—was the undisputed master of acrobatic rope dancing. Practicing on coconut-strand ropes as a child, he became the greatest performer of his generation.
In 1922, Kunchy stunned crowds at Whiteway Circus. His gravity-defying moves caught the attention of the Canestrelli circus family from Italy. Soon, Kunchy left Kerala for Europe, chasing a new destiny with a new identity: Kannan Bombayo.
Bombayo dazzled audiences across the US and UK—a humble man from Kerala was now a global sensation. In London and New York, his mid-air flips earned standing ovations. Later, Bombayo fell for fellow Italian performer Filomena Lentini. In love, they tied the knot in Texas and together they became an unstoppable duo in the world of entertainment.
'The Jumping Devil'
At the peak of fame, misfortune struck. During a show in the US, a double somersault ended in disaster. A terrible fall scarred Bombayo for life. But the showman wasn’t done just yet. He recovered just in time to perform at Berlin’s WinterGarten in 1938.
And who was in attendance that momentous night? The notorious Adolf Hitler himself. Legend has it, Hitler was utterly blown away by the death-defying stunt Bombayo pulled off from a staggering 40 feet above the ground. So much so, that he even went as far as to inspect his shoes for any hidden springs, and dubbed him ‘the Jumping Devil from India’.
However, in 1939, in a heart-wrenching turn of events, the shining star from Kerala met an untimely demise at just 32 years old while en route to India. His devoted wife, Filomena, vowed to lay him to rest in his motherland.
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