VIJAYAWADA: Puppeteers are groping in the dark knowing not what to do to keep the wolf at the door. The decline in public patronage to their shows has virtually pushed them into the financial doldrums.
As Express talked to some prominent puppeteers still trying to eke out a living from their unprofitable profession, they expressed their anguish over not only the loss of their livelihood but also the art form they have inherited, loved and practised throughout their lives.
“There used to be three groups which practised puppetry in our village. Now, there is only one. Since serials shot to fame a couple of decades ago, people started ignoring puppetry completely. The government’s help is insufficient. I participated in puppetry shows conducted recently in Bhakti channel, Gantasala Music College, Ravindra Bharati and I even represented Andhra Pradesh in puppetry competitions in Assam.
However, every few months when there is an event, we get only Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 from the government including travel charges. Puppetry can only be a hobby now - not a profession,” said R Kotlingam, who hails from Addanki in Prakasam district.
“From 70 families which practised puppetry, we have been reduced to merely six or seven. I have been commissioned to perform in a number of shows in Hyderabad, Guntur, Bangalore and Chennai several times. However, I am unable to make a living of it.
The Rs 25,000- 30,000 we earn from shows that are conducted once in a blue moon, is not enough. People rarely come out of their houses to watch puppetry. The art form which can be traced to Sri Krishna Devaraya rule in Vizianagaram is ending.... we need help,” said Chinna Ramana, who hails from Nimmalakunta in Anantapur district.
“There used to be hundreds of families practising puppetry a decade or two ago, but now there are only 40 practising it in Lingayapalem, 60 in Konayapalem in Krishna district, 20 in Narasaraopet and 40 in Pathuru in Guntur district. I make a living by repairing gas stoves. There is no puppeteer I know who makes a living out of it professionally,” said Purandara Dasu, who hails from Kondamolu in Guntur district.
The puppeteers also said that they ran into debts as they could not make a proper living out of any other profession. “I have a debt of Rs 2 t0 3 lakh and I have so many commitments to my family. This is the pathetic state of puppeteers,” averred Purandara Dasu.“Though people of our ilk do not take dowry, a marriage would cost at least Rs 50,000 Rs 1 lakh in our community and even this amount is too much for us,” added Chinna Ramana.
Special Officer of Shilparamam, B Jayaraj, said, “Puppetry is a dying art form and we intend to revive it. To create awareness among the people about such rarefied arts and crafts we have proposed 14 shilparamam exhibitions this year. We are awaiting the government’s response.”
This is a step up from last year’s six exhibitions conducted by the Shilparamam department. This year, the exhibitions are going to be held in Eluru, Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam. They will feature puppetry, handlooms, handicrafts, folk arts, drama, and even dance forms such as Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi
Dr D Vijaya Bhaskar, Director, Department of Language and Culture, said, “We have acknowledged the problems faced by the puppeteers and are taking steps. We are first conducting a survey to compile a database so that we will know exactly how many families are practising puppetry and then frame a policy to reach out to them.”