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14 ART & CULTURE DELHI THE HINDU Magazine THE HINDU Magazine DELHI ART & CULTURE 15
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Sunday, March 3, 2019
SPOTLIGHT puppeteers earlier began to refer to POP-A-RAZZI do you need more?’ The film was
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC themselves as puppeteers,” says Roy, CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC dismissed by critics as old wine in an
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
and “those who were sure of puppetry, Gau rakshaks and old bottle. It is, in fact, a third
Where puppets went back reassured that their struggle generation remake of an old film that
has been a boxoffice favourite in India.
was worthwhile.”
Black Panther: A superhero film
The course evolved from a series of
residential masterclasses, which served radioactive spiders where tribes fight over a precious
come to life many questions about the ethics of We deserve the Oscars too. Nominations for unbeatable Black Panther. A young tea
metal that turns ordinary men into an
as pedagogic experiments. They raised
knowledge transfer: What does it mean
seller comes to take over the throne
for traditional masters to teach
that is rightfully his but is challenged
puppetry to students outside their
wins and proves that his country is not
community? Do young, traditional a few deserving desi Hollywood avatars by an arrogant marg pradarshak. He
puppeteers benefit learning from Download Indian Library App a third world country but actually a
India’s first diploma course on puppetry contemporary masters? What is he Oscars red carpet might technically advanced superpower
has brought together aspiring artists appropriation in the context of have been rolled up in which invented the internet and plastic
surgery. He eventually puts on the
puppetry traditions in India?
Hollywood but their desi
from across the country The course, however, is not without Tavatars might still be playing in milliondollar suit embossed with
its share of challenges.“With no two a political theatre near you. Here’s our the precious metal and fights off
students (eight in total) coming from guide to the Indian Oscarworthies of his enemies during the Great
the same background, language 2019. In our book they are all winners Demonetisation War. The
became a barrier,” says Pandey. “The of course. precious metal’s secret power is
reading material and films being Green Book: An awardwinning revealed to be an unstoppable
predominantly English, they couldn’t Muslim writer, about to embark on a torrent of fake news that helps the
be understood by everyone. As for literary festival tour in the badlands of ILLUSTRATION: SATHEESH VELLINEZHI hero singlehandedly defeat his
those who came from urban settings, India, needs a driver for protection. An adversaries. The sequel to this
they struggled with a paucity of unemployed toughtalking gau rakshak blockbuster arrives this summer.
narratives.” Despite these who has been told to keep a low profile Bohemian Rhapsody: A heart
after a recent lynching case is recruited warming biopic about a young man
A for the job. The two men initially clash who wants to become a singer but his
What does it mean for traditional but slowly develop a touching bond as traditional family wants him to join the
A
It is equally masters to teach puppetry to students the writer helps the gau rakshak write family firm. He eventually brings
beautiful Urdu love poetry to woo his
together many other outofwork
about building outside their community? girlfriend and the gau rakshak saves the musicians into a band called
a community shortcomings the students learnt to writer when angry Hindutva activists Mahagatbandhan. The band delivers
of puppeteers depend on each other for support and storm a lit fest demanding the writer some hits but is riven with ego tussles
that can feedback. Everyone agrees that a sing ‘Vande Mataram’. The gau and fights about who is the true face of
support each future in puppetry now looks less rakshak admits he cannot sing the band. As the young musician
other #70929 bleak, Roy says, “When I see people ‘Vande Mataram’ either as wonders if he should go solo or play
walking around with puppets, they drive past a herd of second fiddle in the band, he
engrossed in getting their happy cows. The film sings, ‘I want to break free.’ In
Pulling strings The students came from diverse
backgrounds: Tholpavakoothu artists from Kerala, Tare manipulation right, or repairing them featured in the Prime a fairy tale ending he comes
Putul artists from Bengal, as well as artists from urban, or just doing puppetry, I feel the Minister’s Mann ki Baat out before vast cheering
community has definitely grown. radio address but was panned crowds singing his great hits
non-traditional settings. L. BALACHANDAR
Puppeteers aren’t so alone any more.” by critics as a feelgood whitewash. ‘We are the Champions’ and
............................................................................. The Favourite: This black comedy A ‘Pappu Can Dance’. Historians slam the
The writer is a reviewer and became a surprise hit because no one A famous prince battling a ending as being fanciful and
documentarian of Indian performing figured out it was a comedy. Court foot-in-the-mouth disease seeks inaccurate.
arts. intrigue swirls around a powerful Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse:
prime minister as his ministers try to the help of his sister An animated film about a young
SAMMITHA SREEVATHSA crafted diploma programme. Much of scenography, narrative building, and Gagan Kumar, a student with a outdo each other in an effort to win his Kashmiri man who gets bitten by a
it is born out of the stories of struggle manipulating different kinds of background in contemporary confidence and become the coveted reclusive princess, in recovering the radioactive spider named ‘Tathagata
f you had visited Delhi’s Crafts of previous generations of puppets, it is equally about building a puppetry and education, finds the minister of the bedchamber. One family castle which has been seized by Aroychnida’. The next day he develops
Museum in the last few months, puppeteers: about the lack of not just community of puppeteers that can course valuable for the interactions minister says that if the prime minister the ruthless Bhajpa clan. The princess super powers where he can emit
you would have found people space and learning opportunities, but support each other. and the projects he has been able to is not elected, the country will be set becomes hugely popular partly electric earworms that force everyone
Iengrossed in animated of critical discourse and a community The students come from diverse build. The course has landed him an back by 50 years. Another says, because of her resemblance to the to burst into songs from Kashmir Ki
conversation with puppets. Or that supports the art. backgrounds. There are internship, which involves building a politicians who sell dreams to the longdead Dowager Empress. A PR Kali. Meanwhile the villainous Jaish
someone repairing a broken wooden Tholpavakoothu artists from Kerala, school curriculum using puppetry. “I public and then fail to deliver get company wants to mould her into the Goblin is trying to develop a particle
limb. This isn’t an everyday scene at Night-long show Tare Putul artists from Bengal, and am happy I can bring my interests in beaten up and comes under suspicion new Empress and organises massive accelerator that will create an
the museum: but for last four months Anurupa Roy, who has been at the students from urban, nontraditional education and puppetry together,” he of harbouring designs on the PM post. road shows with ecstatic fans who sing alternative universe where all bakeries
the place has been host to India’s first helm of this work, recalls how once backgrounds as well. “The objective says. However, the prime minister outfoxes ‘Maybe It’s Time’. The prince becomes in India will be known as Karachi
diploma course on puppetry. And for she was the only one in the audience, is not to turn everybody into fulltime For a traditional puppeteer like everyone by taking a dip in a holy river increasingly anxious with the princess’ Bakery. Eventually peace is restored
this artist community, these few along with a dog, at a nightlong puppeteers but to help them find Sajeesh Pullavar from Kerala, the and washing the feet of some jawans growing popularity. But ultimately she when everyone timetravels to another
months have been a momentous Tholpavakoothu performance in their own questions within the field, exposure to different styles has been with his tears. In the last scene, the pays a touching tribute to him dimension where Sardar Patel, rather
time, as the first batch of students Kerala. Despite formal training in help them build their niche and eyeopening. “I regularly offer chastened ministers are shown by singing ‘Shallow — Tell than Jawaharlal Nehru, is the first
gears up for a future in puppetry. Sweden, she had to start from scratch discover their own voice,” says workshops in schools, and I can now pressing the prime minister’s many me something boy/ prime minister of India.
UNIMA India, a Delhibase here until senior puppeteers like Dadi Ranjana Pandey, president, UNIMA introduce new aspects of puppetry as vests while he rides a triumphal Aren’t you tired tryin’ Now please go vote for the winner.
puppetry organisation, has worked Pudumjee and Ranjana Pandey took India. “Some might become puppet well.” chariot. to fill that void?/ Or
for six years, experimenting, her under their wing. makers, some might choose to work The course has definitely made a A Star is Born: A famous prince
brainstorming, faltering, learning, So, although the course aims to with puppets in schools, while others difference to the students. “Those battling a mysterious footinthemouth Sandip Roy, the author of Don’t Let Him Know , like many
before arriving at the carefully train people in puppetmaking, might become performers.” who were hesitant to call themselves disease seeks the help of his sister, a Bengalis, likes to let everyone know about his opinions.
SCANNER
Chennai Photo Biennale Picturesque India Theatre awards Elizabethan treasures
The second edition of the Chennai Photo Niyogi Books has brought out a collection of early Nominations have been announced for the “A thing apart from all other painting or drawing,”
Biennale is now underway and will be open to Indian picture postcards from the period 1896 to Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and Elizabethan miniatures are on display at the
the public till March 24. The work of more than 1947. Collected mostly from the Czech Republic and Festival, which is in its 14th edition this year. National Portrait Gallery in London until May 19.
50 artists from 13 countries is on display in many curated along the transport routes in India at the Performances of the 10 nominated plays will be The artists featured are Nicholas Hilliard and his
venues, including Madras University’s Senate time, the 550 postcards are arranged in six chapters held at the Kamani Auditorium and Shri Ram pupil Isaac Oliver. Their subjects include the likes of
House and Madras Literary Society. corresponding to regions of the subcontinent. Centre in New Delhi between March 6 and 11. Robert Dudley and Sir Walter Raleigh.
