Puppetry in India is one the most ancient and most creative art forms. How many remember going ambling onto the narrow streets of villages in our state to watch the magic of puppets unfold and the bursts of laughter the followed? The entertainment levels puppetry endowed are second to none. It is pretty sad to see that due to the heavy influx of technology and televisions, puppetry has somewhat lost it’s charm. We wonder if any of today’s generation even knows of an artistic form called puppetry. It’s a shame that such a creative and artistically aesthetic form has lost its popularity and sheen, mostly because all of us have been so busy with daily routines, whatsapps, facebooks youtube and what not. Urban families of today are financially successful, educated and aware. Yet, some areas are lost in the changing times.
This has created a void between what we want our children to know and what indeed they are learning. Dhaatu, a non-profit international organisation has been founded to address this need in today’s society. The Sanskrit word Dhaatu means root, an essential ingredient, the soul and supreme spirit. Dhaatu seeks to introduce a direction that comes from a contemplation of our roots, origins and rightful place and purpose in life. The art festival took shape in the form of a curtain raiser at the National Gallery of Modern Art on December 30. Of some of the main events that are a part of the festival include the Puppetry Workshop, the Puppetry art appreciation course for children, the puppetry parade and so on. Credit also goes to the National Gallery of Modern Art for helping in promoting such a unique artform which has been perfectly and carefully executed through generations.
It is strange to see people from foreign countries show keen interest in it even as Indians have done precious little. Anupama Hoskere, the festival director says, “In today’s context, the scenario of puppetry has moved from rural to urban. Puppetry is a complicated form that needs time, nurturing and understanding of folklore. It has been sadly vastly neglected for the past five decades. It was initially a very niche form which involved many people doing many jobs within the puppetry setup, but now the whole scenario has changed and there has been a financial burden due to the lack of awareness and meagre knowledge of puppetry. This conference is to break the shackles and educate people about the artform.” We all must come forward and support such incredible artforms which are a true representation of our country’s rural and cultural diversity. The year end may be a new beginning to this artform, and we predict better things happening for puppetry from here on.
The curtain raiser is on at the National Gallery of Modern Art from December 30, 2016 onwards.
— The writer is an art expert and curator.
