CHENNAI: Letting sunlight through the transparent skin, the Thollu Bommas (leather puppets) hanging on a thin wire, gleams making the kings, demons and gods glow. Carefully arranging his art works, Khande Ramdass, a puppet artist from Anantapur district chats with us about this traditional art and about how the lack of takers has diversified their work.
An art that flourished in Andhra Pradesh from as early as the 12th Century, puppetry has something for everyone keeping the viewers hooked to a large white screen. “It was a mode of entertainment…like how movies and TV are ruling the roost now. Loud drum sounds and sounds of war were played by live musicians and the puppet artists used to artistically move the puppets with the bamboo sticks that were attached to it,” he recalls pointing to the puppets of Rama and Hanuman from Ramayana — one of the common epics that used to take to stage in shadow puppet shows.
“Apart from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, other such mythological stories used to be narrated,” he shares. Having been in the art of shadow puppetry for over 40 years, Khande Ramdass says that most people in the district and places like Madhavapatnam, Narasaraoppet and parts of Nellore have been doing this art form for generations. “These are the main centers for shadow puppetry. Though our children go to school, they also make and paint these puppets. We won’t let the art disappear,” he asserts.
The puppet is made using goat skin, in different sizes according to the need of a show. It was earlier made using deer leather. “Now times have changed. We make it from goat hide and it is a two-week long process. We clean it and then dry it after which the skin becomes translucent for the artwork. Then we start painting the leather and make the required shapes. Some parts are left without painting –— we perforate them and it looks like jewelry when light passes through the puppet!” he smiles.
Different colours that are both vibrant and rustic are used in painting the leather. “It is all hand-painted. We use natural colours and what’s called Indian ink,” he says.
What’s interesting is that different characters have exclusive colours. “This is a tradition. We have individual colours for Ravana, Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Sita, the rishis and so on,” he explains.
With over 100 artisans in the Kanakadurga society in Anantapur district making these art pieces, he says that since puppetry isn’t a mainstream medium of entertainment today, the artisans have diversified their work and have started making lampshades, wall hanging and screens out of it.
“Its transparency makes it perfect for these products and it's also durable!” he says pointing to the cylindrical lampshades. “We do it in colours and also in black and white. There are many takers for this. It makes the interiors more aesthetic.”
With clientele in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi, he shares “This art of puppet making that has been a major medium in narrating tales to many generations will never decline. We are modifying the base of the art to be useful in today’s world. But, this technique of Thollu Bomma is our heritage and I am proud of it,” he beams.