CHENNAI: A variety of puppetry traditions including Tholpavakoothu, Talbetal, and Dhola Maru from different parts of the country are being showcased as part of an ongoing puppetry festival here.
The festival, being hosted at the Phoenix MarketCity and Palladium mall here, began on April 27 and is expected to continue till mid-May.
Conceptualised and curated by renowned art historian and designer Annapurna Garimella, the event aims at bringing to the public a melange of Indian heritage and contemporary art practices within the space of puppet theatre.
A variety of workshops and puppet shows ranging from the Tholpavakoothu shadow puppetry from Kerala and Seraikela style from Jharkhand to the traditional kathputlis and Dhola Maru performances from Rajasthan will be part of the festival.
Also performing will be Delhi-based artist Seema Kohli, who will present a piece titled “Retracing Paradise: The Word for the World is Home”.
Katkatha trust’s “About Ram”, an experimental theatrical piece using excerpts from the Bhavbhuti Ramayana told through animation, projected images, dance, masks and puppets, will be performed for the first time in the city.
There will also be workshops and performances by three-time national award winning puppeteer Dattathreya Aralikatte.
“Creating a confluence of Indian art, architecture and design has been at the forefront of our cultural vision. We’re thrilled to be able to bring this unique festival dedicated to puppet theatre here,” said Vijay Choraria, co-promoter of Phoenix MarketCity. PTI
