Dolls that create a sense of drama

Bimba, the Art Foundation housed in an exquisite 100-year-old building in Basavanagudi, is gearing up to present a thrilling spectacle of solo theatre between Sept 28 and Oct 7.

Multi-faceted artiste Deepika Dorai and her mother, Uma Nagaraj, are set to captivate audiences with their stylised and dramatised stories against a stunning miniature backdrop.

The all-day Rasalok solo theatre features two narratives: ‘Ganga: Heaven & Earth await the descent of a goddess’ (by Deepika) and ‘Vasudeva: Nature casts a stormy veil’ (by Uma Nagaraj).

There will be four shows (11:30 am, 4 pm, 5.30 pm and 7 pm) every day, where each 75-minute narration (in English and Kannada) offers city slickers the luxury of stepping back in time!

“Rasalok is all about rustic theatre, where live narratives are depicted through breathtakingly beautiful miniature art, and what better time to do this than Navaratri,” says T D Deepak, co-founder of Bimba.

“Navaratri isn’t just about stories or dolls. It’s a celebration of creativity and beauty. It’s about connecting with ourselves. The dolls are meant to help the uninitiated enter a very special space where the ethos is Indian, the stories are from our rich past (puranas) and the experience is spiritual,” observes Deepika, describing herself as “blessed” for growing up in old Bangalore.

“In my grandmother’s house in Malleswaram, Navaratri was not just about creating tableaux with dolls. My grandmother made everything, including the flora and fauna for the displays, by hand. In those days, she even set up the lights herself,” Deepika recalls.

Years later, when she set up Bimba, first in Chennai and later in Bangalore, Deepika was determined to recreate that Navaratri which goes beyond being merely “charming”. “To me, this is a very precious inheritance. It’s my ‘dharma’ to nurture it, cherish it and share it with as many people as possible,” she adds.

While the main hall at Bimba has the traditional doll display, no pre-existing dolls have been used for the miniature still theatre narratives. The characters are all artistic miniatures with aesthetic proportions.

Deepika and Uma have sculpted and painted in expressions, handcrafted jewellery and clothed the characters in classic costumes. Great attention has been paid to the backdrop as well, be it a river, a mountain peak or an illuminated hut. “The idea is to make these moments in time real. The experience has to captivate the audience, not distract them,” explains Uma.

The venue is such that people can walk around the courtyard and soak in the atmosphere. While Bimba encourages walk-ins, Deepika and Deepak believe that it takes a mature audience to enjoy these special moments. “Anyone above six years is welcome,” says Deepak.

For more details, log on to www.bimbaartfoundation.org.

Epic tales
At ‘Dhaatu’ in Banashankari, Anupama Hosakere has gone all out to make ‘Navaratra’ a very special time for the young and the young-at-heart. While the exquisite doll display with scenes from the Mahabharatha and the Ramayana are sure to leave the children spellbound, the romantics are sure to be enthralled by ‘Rukmini Parinaya’ — where Rukmini strategises her great escape into Krishna’s waiting arms much to her father’s delight and her brother’s annoyance!

“It is necessary to keep the essence of the festival alive while adding contemporary elements to it,” says Anupama, and she should know. As engineer-turned-teacher and puppeteer, she’s been promoting the art of storytelling for 17 years now.

In tribute to her pioneering work, the Tamil Nadu Khadi Gram Udyog invited her to make the first choice of their handcrafted Dasara dolls this year. And guess what she picked? ‘Sharabesha’, a form that Shiva is said to have assumed to tame the fury of Vishnu in Narasimha avatara.

“This ‘Sharabesha’, made of wood, has high curiosity value. Any child who sees this colourful and special doll will ask what it is. And therein hangs another tale,” says Anupama, with a chuckle. Truth be told, we cannot think of a better home than Dhaatu for Sharabesha and all the teddy bears, Barbies, rishis, kings, queens, soldiers, horses and elephants! 

Dhaatu has special doll viewing timings during Navaratri with puppet shows and cultural evenings as well. For details, log on to www.dhaatu.org.