MYSURU: They nod their heads, wave their hands, turn from side to side, they jump, they dance. Meet the dazzling puppets. They tell you stories and also educate. All you need is to see people ‘pull a few strings’ to entertain you too. To those who hail from Karnataka, especially the older generation, rod puppetry may be familiar, as it was very popular during the time of the princely state of Mysore and was considered a staple of village jathras. As time passed, the popularity of this art form may have dimished, but some individuals and organisations are trying to keep it alive. One of them is 43-year-old S N Srikantha.
Along with his business of organising travels and tours, he and his team of 10 members conduct puppet shows twice a week at the Mysore Puppet Theatre, under the banner of Mandalam Sriranga Puthali.
Srikantha, who holds a diploma in Computer Science and a degree in Arts, is a well-known rangoli artiste in Bengaluru and Mysuru. In fact, he established the puppet theatre in 2018 to keep this dying art form alive and to channel it as a medium of communication. ''Puppetry has a history of 5,000 years. It has been used for entertainment and educative purpose for centuries. The tradition of puppet shows came to Mysuru during the Vijayanagar empire. To promote the art form and educate the younger generation about it, we plan to conduct shows in schools and provide training to those interested. Many institutions and people in the country and abroad use puppets in order to teach or communicate ideas. We also plan to create themes that can be used in educational programmes,” he says.
During the past year, Srikantha learnt the strings of puppetry, literally. He has learnt how to craft these puppets and decorate them as well. His shows are based on tales from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and also on the history of the royal family of Mysuru. Through these tales, he hopes to inculcate moral values and life skills in children. He says that this puppetry has psychological benefits as well. “Stories have a tremendous impact on young minds. They inspire children in different ways by changing their way of thinking. By narrating these tales through puppets we can create awareness among children on what is good and bad, and impart values such as honesty and compassion. When they listen to these stories, they tend to connect with them on different levels. Later, when they face ups and downs, the values they pick up through these shows come in handy.
It also helps prevent them from getting depressed,” says Srikantha.G Mahesh, a theatre enthusiast, says this is a great opportunity to learn about Indian mythology. “When parents bring their children to watch the shows, they themselves develop an interest. There is a need to protect this art form which may go extinct. Conducting shows and educating the public will help the next generation learn about it,” he says.
Srikantha conducts shows at the Mysore Puppet Theatre for free. He charges Rs 15,000 when he conducts these shows anywhere else.
“It is not easy to earn a livelihood from puppetry alone. As I have a business too, I can manage. Most of my team members work voluntarily to create awareness among Mysureans about puppet shows,” he adds.
Anita Achutha, a member of his troupe, says, “The art of puppetry is dying slowly in the modern era. This is an effective form of communication and Srikantha is striving to keep it alive. We delve into the stories before we present them on stage. Currently, I am learning how to make and decorate puppets. I enjoy being part of the team.”Srikantha will start puppetry classes from February 10. He says, “Conducting shows needs a lot of practice. Each puppet weighs around 6 kg. One needs proper posture to hold them which only comes with practice. Perfect sense of timing and the ability to coordinate with the second puppeteer is very important. I want to tell the history of Mysuru through puppets. I decorate puppets in the Mysuru style to represent our tradition and culture.”
A long legacy
Srikantha is the fourth generation in his family who has taken up this art form. His great grandfather Narasinga Rao was considered a master puppeteer and had held shows for Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Impressed by his prowess, the maharaja conferred the title of Suthra Brahma on Rao. The grandson M R Ranganatha Rao followed in Narasinga Rao’s footsteps and went on to train many youngsters in the art of rod puppetry. Some of them have established well-known puppet theatres in and around Bengaluru. Inspired by his uncle, Srikantha says that he will continue the tradition. Srikantha’s family has a collection of 25 puppets that are over 250 years old.
Bringing the puppets to life
Traditional rod puppets are made out of wood. First, the face of the puppet is sketched on to a light wooden slab and then it is carved out accordingly. The limbs are made in three parts before the strings are attached to them. Then the limbs and the head are attached to the body using strings. The puppet is dressed up according to the story. The face details are added accordingly. Each puppet is 2.5 to 3.5 feet high and costs Rs 10,000 to make.
Puppeteer skills
1.Rod Puppet depicts the characters of animals, human beings, birds and mythological figures. Puppeteers should be well versed in music, dance and acting. He/she should be very conscious, perfect and efficient while pulling the strings
2.Puppeteer operates the puppets by giving movements to head, limbs and hands. As the head and hands are attached with a string, it will be easy for the puppeteer to give them movements. The movement of the puppet (whole body) -- from one point on the stage to the other-- is controlled by rod strings which are tied to the cloth ring worn on the head of the puppeteer
3.Using two strings and two rods, the head and hand will be connected to the rod puppets. But string puppets have 6 strings connecting hands, legs and the head
4.Difference between rod puppets and string puppets is that the latter will have leg movement