HYDERABAD: Amidst the enchanting ambiance of Aaromale, Filmnagar, peals of laughter echoed as little ones beheld the charming and vibrant animal puppets. Their exuberant responses, guided by the whimsical creatures, infused the hall with a delightful frenzy during the recent Puppet Show organised by Puppets & Stories, led by the talented Shreedevi Sunil. In a candid conversation with CE, Shreedevi Sunil delved into her journey and the profound impact of art in education.
Accompanied by their parents, children delved into a captivating narrative session showcasing Indian folk stories. Shreedevi Sunil, adept in the roles of puppeteer, storyteller, and educator, effortlessly mesmerised even the most spirited of attendees with her puppetry and tales. All eyes remained transfixed on her as she unfolded two timeless narratives: ‘The Monkey King’ from Jataka tales and ‘The Talking Cave’ from the Panchatantra collection.
Reflecting on her unexpected foray into performance storytelling, Shreedevi Sunil recounted, “Performance storytelling was just budding in urban India when a fellow parent’s request during a mother-toddler session propelled me into this journey. Despite our rich storytelling heritage, the concept was relatively new, particularly in urban settings. Our initial learning was gleaned from a handful of established storytellers and online resources. Recognising the importance of professional storytelling, we sought guidance from Dr Eric Miller in Chennai, honing our skills and conceptualising STEM storytelling — a curriculum merging storytelling with various subjects.”
She further highlighted the transformative role of the pandemic, noting how it catalysed a shift towards integrating art into education.
Shreedevi emphasised, “The pandemic spurred a surge in screen time for both youngsters and adults. However, it also prompted schools to embrace art integration. As children returned to classrooms, educators faced challenges in engaging them. Thus, my focus shifted towards empowering teachers to effectively utilise storytelling and puppetry as educational tools.”
Discussing the future of puppetry, Shreedevi Sunil says, “I think a big part of it is because you can talk in English, and you can converse in a language that is pretty much applicable across India. This style of puppetry has a lot of scope. So if you practice and get the technicalities right, and if you have the right stories to tell, then it has a lot of scope to grow. And it’s something that people are now developing interest in. So a lot of storytellers use puppets, and they want to sort of delve into it. But when you kind of look at traditional puppetry, I think one of the challenges they face is that of language because traditional puppeteers work in their regional language. So for them, the reach is difficult. Also, I use social media, and people will find me on social media. But I think that traditional puppeteers have a few challenges. One is language, and the other is reach. They need someone to represent them. They need someone to speak for them. This style of puppetry is growing and becoming very popular right now.”