Broken strings of puppetry

Puppetry is an animated visual art form. The puppeteer uses his or her skills to makes the puppet, an inanimate object, talk, sing, dance and behave the way humans do. It is considered to be one of the oldest forms of storytelling in the country, wherein it has been used for centuries for both religious and entertainment purposes. In Hindu religious literature, god is likened to a puppeteer who manipulates all the objects of the universe.

Like many art forms of India, puppetry began with a strong religious connection. For example, both Carnatic music and Indian classical dance forms, especially the South Indian ones, are strongly religious. The earliest puppet shows in South India are said to have used shadow puppets, which drew on tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Besides stories from the epics, there were tales of valorous heroes, great kings and leaders too. Moreover, puppet shows were regular rituals during religious festivals. This tradition still persists in some parts of Kerala at
temple festivals.

From everywhere

In India, puppetry is categorised in different ways – depending on criteria like appearance and structure of the puppets, the type of manipulation and the techniques of presentation. But popular categories include shadow, string, rod and glove puppets.

Shadow puppetry employs light and shade intelligently to create a dramatic effect. Two-dimensional or flat puppets are operated behind a white cloth screen, which is lit up. Puppets are pressed against this screen. So in effect, the audience sees the shadows of the puppets onscreen. The puppets are generally made of animal skin. They have cane or bamboo sticks with which the puppeteer manipulates them. The story or drama thus enacted is called shadow theatre. Examples are Togalu Gombeyaata from Karnataka, Tholu Bommalata from Andhra Pradesh, Tholpavakoothu of Kerala, Chamadyache Bahulya of Maharasthra and more.

Karnataka’s shadow puppet traditions share some similarities with the Andhra ones. Here, a show of leather or shadow puppets is called Togalu Gombeyaata, which means ‘the play of leather dolls’ in Kannada. In Maharashtra, you can see the art mostly around Ratnagiri. Tamil Nadu’s shadow puppet
artistes can be found on the outskirts
of Chennai, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Kovilpatti and Theni districts.

Rod puppets have rods for support and manipulation. Generally, the puppeteer is concealed by the puppet’s dress here. You can see rod puppetry in West Bengal, where it’s called Danger Putli Nach. In Assam, it’s Putula Nach, and in Orissa, it’s Kundhei Nacha. The long dhotis worn by the male puppets and the large saris in which the female puppets are draped conceal the absence of legs.

Glove puppet, as the name indicates, is worn by the puppeteer as a glove and is relatively small in size. There are variation of hand puppets. Paava Kuthu or Pava Kathakali which looks like a display of miniature Kathakali dancers in Kerala, West Bengal’s Bener Putul Nach, and Orissa’s Sakhi Kundhei Nacha are some well-known examples of glove puppetry.

String puppets, also known as marionettes, are made of stuffed cloth, sawdust or wood and have different limbs along with the main body and strings, which control its movements, are attached to the different parts of the puppet. Sutor Putul of West Bengal, Kathputli of Rajasthan, Koyya Bommalata in Andhra Pradesh, Sutrada Gombeyaata in Karnataka, Bommalattam in Tamil Nadu, Kalasutri Bahulya in Maharasthra and Kundhei in Orissa are some examples of string puppetry.

All is not well

But while the story of puppetry is a tale of great variety of many rich traditions from different regions of the country, of highly skilled artistes and admirable levels of creativity, it is also, sadly, a story of inadequate efforts by the central and state governments and wealthy private patrons alike; of how the art is losing out to competition from TV, cinema and video games; of penury and despondency among the artistes; and of declining interest among the younger generation of artiste families. There are very few individuals and dedicated institutions to promote and propagate the art.

Most of the puppeteers around the country said that the competition from cinema and TV had hit them hard. As one puppeteer from West Bengal put it, “Television, especially, has given us a big blow. In order to enjoy a film or theatre performance, you have to go to it. But TV is present in your home all day long and offers so much variety. Why will people care for our old-fashioned, often comparatively slow-paced shows by non-glamorous puppeteers?” they argue.

These artistes also spoke of the neglect from the governments and the indifference of rich, influential people. “Why can’t officials and politicians make puppet shows an integral part of cultural functions and festivals in villages, towns and cities? On a personal level, wealthy patrons can arrange for our shows during their celebrations,” suggested artistes we met in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is not that difficult to encourage us, said other artistes, pointing out that it is less expensive to put up a puppetry performance than say, a classical dance performance. Puppetry has a restricted set of props and accessories, a simple stage, and the puppeteers themselves are simply dressed, they said.

Among reasons for the decline is that most puppeteers are village-based, poorly educated, and hence lacking in marketing skills. The art is a hereditary one and family- or community-oriented in most cases, and many elders told us that the younger generation does not want to continue with the profession because of the poor remuneration it offers. Visiting the Kathputli Colony in Delhi, which is an artisans’ colony housing many traditional puppeteer families, you can gain insights into the history and present circumstances of puppetry.

Of course, there is some good news. There are efforts made by art lovers and the culture wings of governments to provide patronage, and the puppeteers are themselves learning to branch out into related art forms, or innovate in some way to keep their craft and their incomes alive. For example, Andhra Pradesh’s Nimmalakunta puppeteers are now using the same puppet-making skills to make other leather products like lampshades, door decorations and more to supplement their income as performance opportunities are dwindling. In Rajasthan, puppets are sold widely as decorative items and are quite popular with tourists.

Also, some puppeteers in different parts of the country are learning to narrate modern stories including humorous ones and fun-filled fables, and enact political or social satire-filled dramas to attract audiences. Important social messages like the education of the girl child and the importance of health and sanitation are also delivered to keep in step with modern tastes and also attract sponsorship from organisations promoting these causes.

Several art lovers, art patrons, individuals and NGOs are promoting puppetry in their own small way. The central government sponsors puppetry workshops and has a few schemes to promote puppetry through education programmes and hold puppetry festivals and seminars too. Some state governments are also waking up to the problem. For example, the Karnataka overnment is showcasing its puppetry traditions in folk art fairs and cultural festivals, especially in engaluru. However, all these efforts are just not dequate. Much more needs to be done on a nationwide scale to keep this tradition flourishing and ensure financial security for the artistes.