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Behance

Show me the money!

Formulating a design solution for improving financial literacy among Gen Z in India

Lansdowne Lives

A film that delves into the heart of Tosrani, a quaint village nestled in the serene hills of Lansdowne.

Other projects to explore

Working with the puppeteers and learning their ideologies, problems, traditions and techniques they work with, revealed certain challenges.

Puppetry in India

Designers

The Puppeteer Community

The Kayakalp Trust

Animal "puppet" gurine from Harappa Terracotta

A Bull puppet from Mohenjo Daro

Puppet from the Indus Valley Civilization era

Three terra cotta objects that combine human and animal features. These objects may have been used to tell stories in puppet shows or in ritual performances

Build healthier and environmentally conscious/sustainable material approaches into the living tradition of puppet making through alternative or revised ways in tandem and participation with the stakeholders - the puppeteer community of Kathputli Colony and Kayakalp Trust

Puppetry is an animated visual art form that involves the creation and manipulation of puppets for theatrical performances. In this art form, a puppeteer utilizes their skills to bring an inanimate object to life, making it talk, sing, dance, and behave in ways that mimic human actions.

Puppetry

Harappan, Mohenjo Daro & Indus Valley Civilisations

Origin in the Indian Context

The Tamil classic Silappadikaram, written between the first and second centuries BC, and the Mahabharata both mention puppetry. Puppetry, as an art form, has philosophical significance in Indian culture. In the Bhagavad Gita, God is depicted as a puppeteer, controlling the universe with three strings: Satta, Raja, and Tama. The storyteller in Indian theater is called Sutradhar, which means “string bearer.”

Strings of Tradition

Types of Puppetry in India

Social Cohesion, Collaboration, Art forms

Kayakalp

Kayakalp is a not for profit organisation that uses puppetry as a medium of behavioural change communication and supports underserved artists in Kathputli colony, New Delhi, India. Kayakalp started in 2012 as part of a social entrepreneurship project undertaken by Enactus at Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi. Now it has flourished into a sustainable puppetry venture that impacts livelihoods of 40+ puppeteers.

Kathputli Colony

The lost home of the community of people practicing the dying tradition of puppetry. The colony houses around 2500 families . The living conditions are extremely concerning. The puppeteers who live here face an acute problem of storage in puppet making.

Puppets made using the alternative materials and techniques were used in a puppet show. Here are a few snippets of the same.

Challenge

There were two kinds of challenges faced by the puppeteers namely, & environmental storage & logistics. Thermacol used in giant puppets was identified as the biggest problem due to its health and environmental hazards. Alternate materials and techniques were explored that would minimise these hazards, fulfill all requirements for these puppets and would be acceptable by puppeteers.

Material Characteristics required for Giant Puppets

The alternate material should have the following features