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Shadow lines

A French author, a Chinese fable, some papier-mâché masks and colourful puppets kept the audience mesmerised, writes PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

PHOTOS: K. ANANTHAN

A SIMPLE TALE With strings attached.

In an age of slick television productions, where everything is larger and louder than life, puppet shows stand little chance of being noticed. But, for those who did respond to the open invitation from Alliance Française of Coimbatore to spend an evening with puppets, it was an hour well spent and a welcome interruption to the frenetic pace of life. It refreshed memories about a charming but neglected tradition of story telling. It reminded the older ones in the audience of India's ancient tradition of puppetry and how it was used extensively through the length and breadth of the country (see box) for reasons as diverse as religious beliefs, propaganda or just pure simple fun. For the young, it was entertainment very different from what they are used to.

Endearing

In a brief, informal and charmingly accented introduction the director, Brigitte Revelli, said her puppets would recount the story of "How Wang Fo was saved". It was drawn out of a collection of short stories called Nouvelle Orientales (Oriental Tales) by Marguerite Yourcenar, French novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Then the lights dimmed and the show began.

Wang Fo is an old painter who, it is widely believed, has the gift of breathing life into his paintings. He and his disciple Ling lead a joyously vagabond life marvelling at nature's beauty. But their idyllic life is shattered when Emperor Han's men drag them in chains to his court. Wang Fo dares to ask the Emperor what his crime was. And, he is told, "The kingdom of Han is not the most beautiful of kingdoms, and I am not the Emperor. The only empire, which is worth reigning over, is which you alone can enter, old Wang ... You alone reign peacefully over mountains covered in snow that cannot melt, and over fields of daffodils that cannot die. And that is why, Wang-Fo, I have imagined a punishment for you ... whose enchantment has given me the disgust of everything I own, and the desire for everything I shall never possess."

Having lived in seclusion, the emperor believed that life was beautiful as portrayed in Wang Fo's paintings that he grew up with. But, soon he learns that the real world is nothing like that. He hates Wang Fo for having mislead him through his canvasses.

Before he is put to death, Wang Fo is asked to complete an unfinished canvas. And, he works magic. He paints water and miraculously water starts seeping in and soon everything is drowning. But Wang Fo and his disciple clamber into a boat that he has painted and they sail away into the painted ocean.

Multi-layered

Brigitte has dovetailed various elements into the narration. The story itself is open to many interpretations. From being a fascinating tale, on another level, it is a metaphysical musing on how art and artists threaten autocracy. Apart from puppets, a clever use of light and shadow, masks, dance and music complete the experience.

If the shadow play is in black and white, everything else is vibrantly colourful. Ling's bride minces about, magnificent in red, while Emperor Han sits in solitary splendour, painted and bejewelled. Be it the the flying swans, the swaying bridal palanquin or the rocking boat, forms, shapes and movements all work in harmony.

Brigitte has studied ballet, Kathakali, Kalaripayattu, Bharatanatyam, Balinese masked dances and mime and yoga. She also holds a master's degree in Education, which is perhaps why she is relates so well to young people. "I work with students". She is director of the Minaminungukkel (fireflies) Puppets and Masks Company based in Kerala. "We design our own puppets. Dance, sculpture, movements of hands and angles, all converge in a puppet show. There are different layers working simultaneously to make the story dramatic and interesting," she explains.

Indeed, a few glitches notwithstanding, the evening proved to be an enchanting trip to Never Never Land. Home-grown puppets and a simple fable lent the evening an endearing quality.

Down the ages

Remember Chori Chori, where Raj Kapoor and Nargis watch a puppet show and find themselves transformed into puppets in the song, Jahaan mein jaati hoon ..? Or in Paheli where puppets become sutradhars? These are Kathputhlis, or string puppets from Rajasthan. They are manipulated by bhats, nomads who believe that puppetry is divine. They usually perform stories about legendary heroes. Puppetry is often part of temple rituals in Kerala. Pavakathakali (glove puppetry) borrows costume,headgear, make up and other ideas from Kathakali. For example a redfaced puppet represents a villain, while a green one would be that of a god or any heroic figure. Tolapava koothu, shadow puppets made of deerskin are manipulated by Pulavars, scholars or poets. Epics are central to their performance. Karnataka is home to Yakshagana gombeyataor string puppetry that draws heavily from the Yakshagana theatre traditions. Epics are a recurring theme. Tolubommalatauses colourful leather puppets from Andhra Pradesh. These shadow puppets enact the Ramayana and also use local gossip as material with a lot of satire and comedy. String puppetry( Koyya bommalata) is also popular. In Orissa, Ravanachhayaor the shadow of Ravana is an age-old tradition. The puppeteers' ancestors were entertainers at the Royal court. Here, Benir putul or glove puppets are often used to comment on social issues like antismoking campaigns, improving the lot of women etc. Danger putul or rod puppets are also popular . Tol bommalatam (shadow puppetry) and bommalattam (string and rod puppetry) from Tamil Nadu uses stories from the Ramayana and usually, the performance starts off with an invocation to Lord Ganesha. The puppet show makes good use of humour in its narration.

( Source: The Internet)

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