Dancing no more: Puppetry in Tripura is on its last leg

One of the most lasting impacts of the India-Pakistan partition, at least in the Northeast, can be seen in Tripura’s puppetry industry. Many believe that had it not been for the partition, the state may never have developed a rich puppetry culture. However, seven decades after the partition, puppetry is endangered and needs immediate government attention. 

The heydays of puppetry

India’s partition, and independence, meant a massive influx of refugees from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, into Tripura. The refugees brought with them the art of puppetry and it caught on so quickly that by 1960, puppetry became the government’s main ‘weapon’ in spreading social messages.

According to the writings of late Haripada Das, a puppet enthusiast and artist who played a central role in organising puppeteers of the state, as many as 12 teams of puppeteers entered India during the 50s and 60s.

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However, the ‘acche din’ did not last long. 

Ask puppet artist Prabhitangshu Das, the son of late Haripada Das who is also a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee. Many credit him for introducing modern puppetry — rod puppet and shadow puppet — for the first time in this part of the country. His Puppetry group, the Tripura Puppet Theater, began performing in 1974. 

In a detailed conversation with EastMojo, Das expresses his sharp disappointment, especially with all that has happened post-COVID-19. 

OTT: final nail in the puppetry coffin

While many take the convenient line by saying that puppetry was on the wane for decades against the onslaught of cinema halls, theatres and cable TV, Das has a different take on the matter. 

“Before the pandemic, we were working smoothly. But after that, things changed for us. According to our observation, the growth of OTT platforms and the resulting flurry of content has decreased people’s interest towards stage performances. Otherwise, we have been working round the year, even though on certain occasions, the audience was less than expected,” he tells EastMojo. 

Das points out that performing arts has been challenged by TV and Cinema in the past. “After the introduction of TV, cinema halls ran into huge losses in Tripura. People found a source of entertainment in their homes. Despite that, performing art succeeded in making its presence felt. The reason was simple: TV and cinema had limitations. But OTT is different. It has something to offer to everyone and now it is available in your grip (phone). This makes a big difference,” he says. 

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OTT dealt the decisive blow, Das believes, while cinema and TV were mere challengers. 

Das also explained the art’s evolution. “With time, puppetry has also evolved. In the 1950s and 60s, there were 13 to 14 puppeteer teams in Tripura. All came from Bangladesh and settled in Tripura. Unlike Bangladesh, Tripura was new to them and those teams couldn’t make two square meals through their craft. As records suggest, puppetry was the sole source of income for these groups. In the search for livelihood, they had to look for alternative options and the numbers continued to dwindle,” he adds. 

Today, there are three puppetry teams in Tripura: Tripura Puppet Theatre (Das’s own), Sri Krishna Putul Natya Sanstha and Tripureshwari Putul Nach Group, all from Agartala.

According to Das, the Sri Krishna Putul Natya Santha and the Tripureswari Putul Nach work with traditional string puppets, while his group works with modern puppets.

“It is a passion which has helped us thrive with a distinct identity. But, as a whole, we have to think of the whole puppetry sector. If the problems are not addressed, the future of puppetry in Tripura will be at stake,” Das opines.

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Das also explains what can be done. “No art form,” he says, “can survive if it does not get patronised. The history of all art tells a similar story. Whether it is the government or society, art needs people’s appreciation and support. The more support it gets financially and socially, the better the art form,” he adds. 

In Tripura, he says, successive governments never paid attention towards performing arts. “To stage a production of 40 to 45 minutes, we have to spend around Rs 2 lakh. All my teammates are professionals working in different fields. We gather on my terrace and rehearse. This is a daily routine of our work. People who started working with me had no idea about puppetry,” Das explains. 

“We exchanged ideas with each other, and the team turned out to be a successful venture. The state government, on the other hand, did not make any efforts to popularise the art form and rarely do we see any sponsorship. Businessmen are ready to sponsor music concerts and coming-of-age events, while folk arts like puppetry never get that much of a response. In this situation, it is all our fighting to carry forward the legacy,” Das rues. 

Dipankar Bhattacharjee, an associate of Das, believes his passion towards puppetry pushed him to walk the extra mile. “Even after getting a government job, I did not leave my art. I joined Tripura puppet theatre in 2015 and am still working. It is a recreational activity which improved my creative mind,” he tells EastMojo.

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‘Of course, the industry can be saved’

Unlike most, Bhattacharjee believes puppetry has a future because “children love to watch such shows sitting in the audience’s chair”. 

“But for that, wide promotion is required. In social media posts, our posts generate warm responses, but when production is staged, hardly any show goes housefull,” he tells us.

Litan Saha, a puppeteer who works in a private firm, tells EastMojo that the art’s popularity is much less in Tripura than outside it. “When we stage performances in Delhi, Assam, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and even outside the country, thousands of people turn up to see our shows. We have performed in Germany. Unfortunately, in our state, the situation is the opposite.”

Whatever earnings they generate through Puppetry comes from the shows they do outside Tripura, Saha points out. 

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Nityananda Sharma, the owner of Sri Krishna Putul Natya Sanstha founded in the 1960s, echoed the same. He, however, lamented that after the pandemic, there have been no shows outside the state.

“As per the Sangeet Natak Akademi standard, making a puppet costs around Rs 16,000 to 17,000. I have 17 to 18 puppets in my possession. When we are invited for shows outside Tripura, our teammates feel a new wave of enthusiasm. People from other states judge the art of artists. In our state, there are no efforts to safeguard this art from getting extinct,” Sarma, a businessman by profession, tells EastMojo. 

Tripureswari Putul Nach group owner Suresh Das, a retired government employee, paints a sorry picture of the industry. “Due to lack of recognition and financial security, artists have left the field and in Tripura, only 30 to 40 odd artists are left who know the art. Many groups have just vanished in the span of the last two years—after the Covid outbreak,” he adds. 

Many solutions, but few initiatives

Everyone seems to be aware of the issues that plague that industry. But what is the solution? Nityananda Sharma says he is looking at the state government. “The state government has a lot of funds for publicity. They spend on newspaper and TV advertisements. Lakhs are spent for this purpose every month. Some of this could be diverted towards saving this traditional art as well. Various departments can include puppet shows for awareness. Even video ads can be more interesting if puppets are used instead of human beings. The Social Welfare and Social Education department that works with children has a wide scope to promote this art for its purpose. This can give money to our hands and help our artists survive.”

Prabhitangsu Das points at something few people notice. “Good auditoriums are costly. Our production requires good lighting and sound arrangements. The auditorium is over Rs 20,0000 per production. Even if shows go housefull, it is hard to recover production costs. The government should think about the issue. Either they should grant rebates for us or build us a dedicated auditorium with less sitting capacity for puppet shows and theatre productions. This will help us in a great way,” Das says.

And, late as it may be, it seems the government is finally listening to puppetry artists. Sources in the Information and Cultural Affairs department mentioned a recent government decision. “Recently, it was decided that auditorium fees would be reduced for plays and puppet shows. We are also contemplating introducing financial help for these groups based on their productions. Every month, the second Saturday will be marked for plays at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan.” 

The department officials also hinted at taking major steps soon to support the traditional art forms. 

About time, say puppetry artists. 

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