A puppet show, About Ram, aims to dispel the notion that puppetry is a mere stringed art by retelling the ancient epic Ramayana in a darker, physical and nuanced manner
A puppet show, About Ram, aims to dispel the notion that puppetry is a mere stringed art by retelling the ancient epic Ramayana in a darker, physical and nuanced manner
Associations form over time, often naturally progressing to being stereotypes. So for many, puppetry is perceived as an entertaining performance with stringed puppets, targetted at kids. But tonight's rendition of the Ramayana might distort this long-held perception. 
About Ram will do away with the Valmiki and Tulsidas versions that Indian audiences are familiar with and draws references from the one by Sanskrit dramatist Bhavabhuti and the Ramayana versions that are popular in South East Asian countries such as Thailand.
"This retelling is a tragic love story that takes you from the time Ram is looking over the sea at Lanka where Sita is held captive to the time he rescues her," says Anurupa Roy who runs Delhi-based group of puppeteers and storytellers, Katkatha, that has designed the performance.
Throughout the play, the puppeteer shares an important relationship with the puppet and is even a part of the landscape at times. For example, the puppet is sometimes seen as climbing the puppeteer's body to attack the enemy. The puppeteer, thus, is a performer in himself; in this case there are three of them who double up as the voices in Ram's head. Sita is the only other puppet on stage, accompanied by shadow puppets, animation and music as vital accompaniments.
"In the play, we portray Ram as a human figure who is dealing with real angst and dilemmas. It's Hanuman who is the more powerful one, and we show Ram metamorphosing into Hanuman right before the audience's eyes," shares Anurupa who is also the fourth puppeteer, handling Sita. "We were inspired by traditional Japanese theatreu00a0-- Bunrakuu00a0-- and the performance takes place with rods in place of strings."
The show, that has toured across India and even to countries like Taiwan and Israel, made its debut in the capital city in 2006. "Though most of our performances are for adults, we have realised that kids get the nuances of this story too," concludes Roy.
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On Today, 4 pm and 7 pm.
At Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Rd, Vile Parle (W). Call 65763999 / 65760555
Tickets Rs 150
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