Strings attached: Puppet theatre is seeing a revival

The artform of puppetry is seeing a resurgence in Bengaluru. Puppeteers who have been practising the art for decades note that demand for shows and workshops has increased, as has the number of artistes taking it up.

In January this year, Dhaatu Puppet Theatre held their annual Dhaatu International Puppet Festival at Mandala Cultural Centre, Talaghattapura. Anupama Hoskere, director, shares that about 16 teams from across Karnataka participated in the event. “Earlier, we were lucky to get even five teams together,” she explains. 

M R Srinivas, director of Rangaputhali Puppeteers, Banashankari has also witnessed an increase in the number of shows his troupe does. “We have also been training more students. About 80 students are trained every year. Ten to 15 years ago, we would get less than 30 enrolments,” he shares. 

Rangaputhali also does experimental performances, where the stories are not based on epics. “We have done performances based on Ambedkar in the past,” he says. 

Traditional rod and string puppets made with wood are 2.5 to 3 feet in height and weigh 10-12 kg. Contemporary puppets, made with paper mache or sawdust weigh about 6-7 kg, and are easier to handle.

This has made it more appealing for schoolchildren to take up the art, he notes, and adds that they conduct puppet workshops in multiple schools. “Until five years ago, we were making 20 puppets a year. Now we make about 60-70 of the paper mache puppets based on demand,” he tells Metrolife.

Shorter courses

Anupama points out that there is a lot more awareness about puppetry and its various forms these days. “Sometimes we get called to malls to perform and we always draw a crowd. Bengalureans lap up all cultural events,” she says. While one had to finish a 6- to 7-year course earlier, now courses are for a one-year duration. “I am not sure if one year of training is enough. So I am pushing for at least an 18-month course,” she explains.

Currently Bengaluru has about five puppet troupes, who specialise in rod and string puppets. Shadow puppets, tarammayya bombe (finger puppets), chinni aata (hand puppets), keelu bombe (jointed puppets) and Yakshagana bombe are some of the other forms popular across Karnataka. “Each puppet is used for a different purpose. Finger puppets are used for entertainment and epic stories, for instance. Rod and string puppets, on the other hand, are used for a full theatre performance and involve dance, music and dialogues,” she shares. 

Contemporary themes

Puppetree was started by theatre artiste Anvitha Prasad in 2017. Her troupe performs about 4-5 shows a month. Puppetree specialises in marionette (string puppets) and bunraku. Bunraku is a form of Japanese puppetry where one puppet is controlled by three people and is performed over a tabletop. “We typically tackle contemporary issues like anxiety, stress or the importance of kindness towards animals. I felt Bengaluru needed a puppet theatre that focused on subjects that were not epics,” shares Anvitha, who also conducts daily puppetry classes at a university.

Both Anvitha and Anupama have seen wider acceptance of the artform. However, Anupama believes that there is a need for a state-funded puppet theatre performance space in Bengaluru. “I think the city deserves a space dedicated solely to puppet theatre,” she says.