Famous Indian Puppeteers: Masters of Traditional and Modern Puppetry

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Puppetry is an ancient art form in India, blending storytelling, performance, and craft. This article celebrates the contributions of four renowned Indian puppeteers—Suresh Dutta, Ranganatha Rao, Dadi Pudumjee, and Ramdas Pandhye. These masters have not only preserved traditional puppetry but have also introduced innovative techniques, bringing the magic of puppetry to global audiences. Discover their remarkable journeys, achievements, and the unique styles that define their legacy in Indian puppetry.

1.Suresh dutta

Indian puppeteer Suresh Dutta holding puppets, founder of Calcutta Puppet Theatre and a renowned figure in Indian puppetry and theatre.

Suresh Dutta is an Indian puppet artist, theatre personality, and the founder of the Calcutta Puppet Theatre, a Kolkata-based theatre group dedicated to puppetry. Born in 1934 in Faridpur, undivided Bengal of British India, he took a diploma in dance, drama, and music, and received training in fine arts from the Albert League Temple Art School and College. Dutta also trained under Phani Bhushan, a Jatra exponent, and learned Kathakali under Balakrishna Menon. He also learned Bharatanatyam and Manipuri, which stood him in good stead in his parallel career as a puppeteer at the Children’s Little Theatre, Calcutta in 1954, where he produced several shows with marionettes, of which Mithuya in 1955 and Dustu Indur (Naughty Mouse) in 1956 became immensely popular.

In 1962, he moved to Russia under a scholarship to train in puppetry with master Sergei Obraztsov. After returning, he continued with the Children’s Little Theatre until 1971. In 1973, he founded his own puppet theatre group, Calcutta Puppet Theatre, along with his wife Devi and a few like-minded artists. They staged several shows, beginning with Aladdin, followed by Ramayana, Sita, Gulabo aur Sitabo, and Natun Jeebon, totaling over 3,000 shows. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1978. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri, in 2009, for his contribution to puppetry.

2. Ranganatha rao

Kannada puppeteer Ranganatha Rao showcasing traditional rod puppets, a pioneering artist known for preserving and promoting rod puppetry in India.

Mr. Ranganatha Rao was a pioneering artist of Kannada puppetry. Ranganatha Rao was born in 1932. He learned the traditional art from his grandfather, Narasingha Rao, a professional puppeteer. He took up employment as a school teacher but later quit his government teaching job to take up puppetry as a full-time profession. Backed by an academic background in drama and theatre, it was natural for Ranganatha Rao to use puppets as a medium of expression to teach children in schools, especially in rural Karnataka.

Rao specialized in rod puppetry. The rod puppet is the most difficult to manipulate because they are one of the largest puppets, measuring three feet tall and weighing about 15 kilos. The entire movement is controlled by two thin rods attached to the puppet's hands. The artist also wears a circular ring on his head to make flexible manipulations for life-like movements of the puppet’s head and body. Additionally, the feet movements have to be fluid, mingling with the characters of the story.

Rao specialized in rod puppetry. The rod puppet is the most difficult to manipulate because they are one of the largest puppets, measuring three feet tall and weighing about 15 kilos. The entire movement is controlled by two thin rods attached to the puppet's hands. The artist also wears a circular ring on his head to make flexible manipulations for life-like movements of the puppet’s head and body. Additionally, the feet movements have to be fluid, mingling with the characters of the story.

Rao built an expert team of performers and singers to create a wholesome mini-theatre of rod puppets, rooted in the ethos of traditional folk music and culture. Rao and his troupe toured around the country, conducting shows, lecture demonstrations, and workshops to prove that the rod puppet could be a wonderful medium of entertainment and education.

In recognition of his work and contribution to reviving the art form, the Sangeet Natak Akademi conferred Rao with a national award in 1981. Rao’s puppets are displayed in prominent museums around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), Swiss Puppet Museum (Fribourg, Switzerland), Tokyo Puppet Museum (Japan), and China Puppet Museum (Beijing). The Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award for 2016 and the Kamala Award from the Crafts Council of India this year speak volumes about his contribution to the field of puppetry.

3. dadi pudumjee

Indian puppeteer Dadi Pudumjee with innovative semi-sculptural puppets, founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust and a pioneer in contemporary puppetry in India.Born on 15 September 1951, Dadi Pudumjee is a leading puppeteer in India and the founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992. He is the president of Union Internationale de la Marionnette (International Puppetry Association). His university education was in Pune and later at the National Institute of Design (NID) and Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, under the late Meher Contractor. After this, he went to the Marionette Theatre Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where he studied puppetry under Michael Meschke.

Pudumjee's puppetry is not restricted to the more common versions of string and hand puppets. He has also used semi-sculptural puppets that are attached to actors' bodies and carried across the stage. An accomplished artist in the rare skill of puppetry, Dadi Pudumjee is single-handedly responsible for introducing Indian puppet theatre to the world. With the intent to provide art that can change the lives of society, he ran a successful program on HIV awareness and substance abuse in partnership with UNESCO, using puppetry as a medium for communication. Through his foundation, Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, he aims to strengthen the art, support and develop the traditional puppetry of India, and broaden the aspect and use of puppetry as a form of expression.

4. Ramdas Pandhye

Indian puppeteer and ventriloquist Ramdas Pandhye with his handcrafted puppets, renowned for combining ventriloquism and traditional puppetry in modern performances.

Ramdas Pandhye is an Indian ventriloquist, puppeteer, and puppet maker. In the past four decades or so, he has conducted around 9,000 ventriloquism and puppet shows in India and abroad. His shows have regularly appeared on Doordarshan since 1972, and he has also developed the first Indian websites on ventriloquism and puppetry. He was the first Indian ventriloquist to perform ventriloquism and puppet-based shows on NBC, ABC, and CBS television in America, as well as on BBC’s Channel Four. His puppets ‘Ardhavatrao’ and ‘Awadabai’ were very popular during the 1970s. He made many puppets on socially relevant subjects like family planning, small savings, child education, etc.

Carriers of a Timeless Craft

The world of Indian puppetry owes much to the pioneering efforts of Suresh Dutta, Ranganatha Rao, Dadi Pudumjee, and Ramdas Pandhye. Their dedication and creativity have ensured that this traditional art form continues to enchant audiences across the globe. By blending tradition with innovation, they have opened new avenues for puppetry, making it a powerful medium for education, entertainment, and social change. Their legacies inspire future generations to explore and expand the horizons of puppetry.










Location: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Comments

  1. Amiya23 October 2019 at 19:00

    Want to organise a Puppet Show in Patna on a socially relevant subject. Kindly get in touch.
    artandworks@gmail.com
    Ph: 9334203557
    06122540376

    ReplyDelete

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