The laughter and excited voices of children filled the India Habitat Centre amphitheatre on Tuesday as puppeteers took the stage to perform an adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s satirical classic, Gulliver’s Travels. This fantastical 50-minute show presented by Puppet Shala Group was the opening act for Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival. Back in the city after a three-year hiatus, the Festival—it will continue till February 20—that was launched by renowned Indian puppeteer Dadi D Pudumjee in 2001, aims to promote the art by bringing together Indian and international puppeteers on one stage. The team will also honour maestros in the domain, such as senior Indian puppeteer and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Puran Bhaat who was felicitated on day one.
Pudumjee, founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, hopes for a good response from the public given the Festival is making a post-pandemic comeback in Delhi—it is concurrently taking place in Chandigarh till February 17. He remarked, “It was a majboori [helplessness] during the pandemic when performing arts’ festivals had to switch to the online platform. Many puppeteers did great shows online. But live interaction with the audience cannot be replaced by the digital medium.”
A slew of talent
The seven-day Festival has a phenomenal line-up for its 19th edition this year. Apart from international talent including Frans Hakkemars Poppentheater from the Netherlands, Kámfor Bábszínház from Hungary, Theatre Sangsahwa from South Korea, Teatro Tages, Agostino Cacciabue and Rita Xaxa from Italy, Indian groups Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust and Puppet Shala Group will showcase their skills as well.
Every puppet has a story and cultural backdrop, which the artist brings to life for the audience. Giving us an insight into the process of adapting Gulliver’s Travels for the stage, director Mohammad Shameem—founder of Kuch Kuch Puppet Theatre—shared, “The beauty of Gulliver’s story is that it teaches treating everyone equally. Due to the story’s simplicity, it was not difficult to adopt it for the Indian audience.”
In India for his first international tour, Hakkemars shared that in contrast to the crowd of no more than 60 people, which he witnesses at home, his recently-concluded show in Chandigarh exceeded expectations and had 700 people in attendance. Explaining the origin of his folk puppet, Jan Klaassen—a wide-smiling faced figurine with a hunchback and a red hooked nose—that was part of his act Jan Klaassen, Katrijn & The Crown Of King William Alexander in Delhi on Wednesday, Hakkemars shared that “it originated in Naples, Italy, around 400 years ago, and later spread out in the Western European continent.” When the puppet arrived in the Netherlands in the 19th Century, “it became the voice of the common man against power”. The puppet, according to Hakkemars, is of the poor and for the poor. “But as more and more children went to school, parents became more concerned with sexual remarks and cursed language used in the show and insisted on it being more educational and children-friendly.”
Slated to entertain the audience with Il Fil’Armonico on February 19, Italian artist Agostino Cacciabue expressed his excitement about presenting his act at the Festival. A second-time performer at Ishara, Cacciabue is certain that his narrative will take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
Something for everyone
Idaya, a five-year-old we met at the Festival on Tuesday, rated the opening act five stars. Noting that the Queen and Gulliver were her favourite characters from the show, she cheerily stated that it was because the former donned a beautiful dress and Gulliver was good to everyone.
The show kept both children and adults equally engrossed. Reminiscing about his childhood, audience member Anant Farooq (45) shared that the last time he attended a puppet show was as a young boy. Attending this Festival with his three-year-old son, Kedar not only brought back fond memories but also allowed him to provide his child an experience similar to what he had as a young boy.
The event, Pudumjee shared, has something to offer every age group. Case in point is Rumiyana, the final, grand performance featuring Rumi’s poetry, which will cater to both children and adults. “We have always looked for a good audience and good performances,” he shared, concluding, “For the people of Delhi, this has become an annual event. Now, we are looking to expand to other cities in the future.”
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: The Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival
WHEN: Till February 20; 7:30pm onwards
WHERE: India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road