Expanding the scope of puppetry
K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
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A three-day workshop explored the prospects of using traditional puppetry to tackle contemporary themes.
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Colourful history: Traditional forms of puppetry usually narrate stories from the Mahabharatha and the Ramayana.
A workshop on puppetry organised by Rangachetana, a Thrissur-based theatre, as part of their Silver Jubilee celebration, explored the scope and aesthetics of the art form.
Rangachetana, which was founded in 1980, was inaugurated by the late theatre thespian G. Sankara Pillai. It trains theatre artists and produces experimental and street plays along with children's theatre.
E.T. Varghese, president of Rangachetana, pointed out that puppetry was an art form that is spread all the world. Each form of puppetry represented the ethnic traits and culture of a particular region.
Pavakathakali by Natanakairali, Irinjalakuda, Noolpavakoothu by Samanuaya Pava Nataka Sangham, Ayancheri (Kozhikode) and Tholpavakoothu by Krishnankutty Pulavar Memorial Tholpavakoothu Sangham, Shornur, were presented during the workshop that was attended by 20 participants. Most of the participants were students of theatre.
Infotainment
While Natanakairali performed `Kalyanasougandhigam' and `Duryodhanavadham', both adapted from the Mahabharata, Samanuaya, hailed for presenting new and contemporary thematic pieces, presented a few select stories from the Panchatantra. The Tholpavakoothu Sangham presented the Ramayana (including `Pattabishekam'). It was three evenings of infotainment. As dusk fell, the puppets came alive to entertain and enact the stories from the epics.
Pavakathakali is the traditional glove-puppet theatre practised in the interior villages of Palakkad district and its surrounding areas. For several generations a few families from the Paruthippully village of Palakkad, known as Andi Pandarams, have been practising this from of puppetry. Their mother-tongue is Telugu. An intra-cultural meeting of glove-puppet theatre and Kathakali might have resulted in the development of Pavakathakali, the origin of which can be traced to the 18th century. Puppets, varying from one foot to two feet, are dressed in the costumes of Kathakali, and the librettos of Kathakali are used for the background music. The musical instruments are the same that are used for a traditional Kathakali performance.
The string puppetry of Kerala is broadly known as Noolpavakoothu. This tradition was prevalent in parts of Ernakulam district, at cultural centres like Thripunithura, and the puppeteers traditionally belonged to the Nair community. Folk tales as well as stories from the epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are enacted.
Play of light and shadow
On the other hand, Tholpavakoothu, which narrates stories only from the Ramayana, is actually shadow puppetry. The puppets are made of fine leather and elaborately decorated. It is usually presented at the Bhagavathi and Bhadrakali temples of Palakakd district and neighbouring areas.
Stories from the Ramayana are narrated over a period of 21 days, that too in a specially made theatre known as `Koothu Madam.' Oil lamps are lit to breath life into the puppets and a scintillating play of light and shadow mesmerise the audience. The verses that are sung during the performance, called Adal Pattu, were adapted from the Kamba Ramayana. Prose, comprising a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam, are also used for dialogues and explanation of the verses. The performers traditionally hail from the Vellala Chetti and the Nair community.
The workshop also looked into the philosophical aspects of these three varieties of puppetry, emphasising on the scope of utilising the techniques of puppetry in the school curriculum.
Classes on Pavakathakali, Tholpavakoothu and Noolpavakoothu were taken by G. Venu, Ramachandra Pulavar, son and disciple of the late maestro Krishnankutty Pulavar, and T.P. Kunhiraman Master.
"As a follow-up to this workshop, Rangachetana plans to conduct another workshop on puppet-making in October," said E.T. Varghese.
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