They won't spare the rod

And still won't spoil your child. The Ishara International Puppet Theatre festival aims to revive the lost arts of puppetryu00a0-- the rod, shadow and string styles, and spread some smiles

Tall and mighty, fluffy and tiny, all imitating us in the way we liveu00a0-- puppets are far more than mere playthings. It's been long since the city saw them shake, so this time, it's the stalwart himself, all set to do it in style. The eighth Ishara International Puppet Theatre festival, starting today, is all about the lost art in all its evolved elegance, courtesy Dadi Pudumjee. "We have tried to ensure that all of these are entertaining for the whole family, andu00a0 involve both traditional and modern techniques. It's a platform for puppetry from all over the world," he says.



World on a string
Participants from countries like Brazil, Iran, Israel and Italy among others are new on the dais this year. "There is going to be a women's group from Iranu00a0-- four sisters who work with the traditional form. In Iran, there are two to three universities that teach puppetry," Pudumjee enlightens. There are others from different cultures, too. While Katkatha speaks of Bollywood, first-time participant Damini House of Culture from Norway picks up tales from Mahabharat.

The team from Aakaar Puppet Company celebrates with Rajasthani puppets. "Traditional puppetry is disappearing in the UP belt while states like Bengal, UP, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and Karnataka all have their shadow and rod puppetry. But there are very few left of the stringed puppeteers of Orissa," he laments.

Shadow, rod, string and glove puppetry are the four most popular forms of traditional puppetry. "India is yet to grow as a committed connoisseur of modern puppet art. There are a few places like Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, which have contemporary puppet theatre," he adds, focusing on the rarer forms. "The shadows, colours and sounds have always evolved, which is important for its (puppetry's) living, otherwise it would have been in a museum."u00a0

Being the only kind of fest held in India every year, they have received a tremendous response from the audiences in the past editions. "Young people have taken the forms in their own prospect and developed it. Some have made it a career while others have used it to spread awareness, education/arts et al." This one's for a bit of everything. For smiling, the most.

Entry Fee
For shows at India Habitat Centre: Rs 100 and Rs 200 Call: 43663090
For shows at Epicentre: Rs 250 Call: 0124 2715000