FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
VINOD CHANDRASHEKHAR DIXIT
You must have been familiar with puppets and if you’re like most people, you must have probably seen a puppeteer in action and may have even played with a puppet. Each year March 21 is celebrated as World Puppetry Day to recognise puppetry as a global art form. Puppetry is considered to be one of the oldest forms of storytelling in the country. Puppetry is a real challenge to the imagination of the individual. It is so sad to see that puppeteers are slowly fading away.
Puppetry is an animated visual art form. Kathputli that means a puppet, made from wood. Whereas the words kath means ‘wood’ and putli means ‘a doll or toy’. The craft of making Kathputli, was practiced by a community of performing artists. The puppeteer uses his or her skills to makes the puppet, an inanimate object, talk, sing, dance and behave the way humans do.
Most puppeteers around the country are of the opinion that that the competition from cinema and TV had hit them hard. Modern day entertainment options like television, movies and the internet are pushing traditional puppetry towards a slow death. To keep the culture and heritage of our nation alive with more charisma, we need to keep educational puppet shows in schools in such a way the students can easily grasp a certain topic.
Puppeteers through cultural exchange can learn new techniques and apply in their performance. Schoolchildren are attracted by puppets and interact with them as they help them to overcome stage fear. Puppet shows establish direct rapport with the audience. It can be tailored to promote civic sense, awareness of socio-economic problems and national issues.
The officials concerned and politicians must make puppet shows an integral part of cultural functions and festivals. On a personal level, wealthy patrons can also arrange for puppet shows during their celebrations. Puppet shows are notable marvels in the lap of the heritage of India. It is essential to maintain the trade of ancient artworks. . Due to the lack of patronisation of government and lack of audience interest, most people engaged in puppetry quit from it and are involved in other lucrative source of income, but all cannot afford. Poor puppeteers are not able to introduce modern techniques in their performance due to lack of sponsors. Many puppeteers of old puppet troupes are not adequately literate. Most traditional puppeteers are not willing to teach puppetry to their children as they do not want to see their children in problem, as puppetry cannot provide adequate money. Schools can arrange for puppet shows on different themes from which the children can learn new things. Teenagers can easily search valuable information, which is not in their textbooks, in a novel way. Puppets provide a way of holding children’s attention and in a way helps in behaviour change.
Puppeteers see a new hope to revive the lost art of puppetry to help them earn a little more.
Let us understand that puppets are a different mode of communication. These dolls convey social message to all. It is clear that puppetry is facing extinction. Government must think over for a permanent source of income to provide them livelihood on a regular basis. Let us make efforts to breathe life into it by introducing it to school students and also in financial literacy. It will be worthwhile for the government to look into the neglected art form and evolve schemes for its revival. Let us make an effort to bring back this art form viz puppeteer back in action.
