Send in the puppets

Stories explains the Israeli anthropologist bestseller Yuval Noah Harari are the foundational stones for civilisation As the digital age takes central position in daily lives it becomes crucial to use this narrative in a more effective and tactile manner This weekend APRE Art House will host a unique workshop and exhibition of traditional Indian shadow puppetry to shape current social narratives for childrenChetan GangavaneldquoThe idea is to expose children to arts and crafts We want them to understand that there is a lot of beauty and wisdom in tradition but also have funrdquo says Aradhana Nagpal founder of Garmi Ki Chutti who is curating the session Storytelling with shadows with APRE Art House This dual function is accomplished through the works of two artists in Chetan Gangavane and Tapan Moharana While the Sindhudurgbased Gangavane brings to the city his heritage of Chitrakathi shadow puppet play Moharana is a multimedia artist who has been working around the Odiya tradition of Raban Chhaya for the last couple of years Both forms carry with them centuries of traditional and folk storytellingShadow puppetry forms a key part of Moharanarsquos artistic practiceGangavane explains ldquoldquoI hail from Pinguli in Kudal taluka of Sindhudurg Itrsquos a small village thatrsquos home to the Thakar community but has nourished 11 rare traditional art formsrdquo Among these are shadow puppetry Dayati string puppetry Kalsutri bahulya and leather dolls Tambdyacha bahulya ldquoThe term Chitrakathi comes from telling stories kathi using pictures chitrardquo he says The traditional artist has been involved in the tradition for the last 15 years and follows his father Padma Shriawardee Parshuram Gangavane and elder brother Eknath Gangavane who worked to conserve the tradition and built a museum to highlight its practice ldquoThese were used to tell stories of ancient myths mostly the Ramayana and Mahabharata But this time we are using it with a newer context to tell three stories from the Panchatantra that are more relatable to childrenrdquo he remarksTapan MoharanaThis attempt to adapt and imbue traditional art to a newer world is necessary adds Moharana The Odishabased artist discovered his statersquos traditional art of Raban Chhaya during the pandemic ldquoI had always been looking for it since it was a faint childhood memoryrdquo he shares admitting that the last generation of these puppeteers no longer practice the art ldquoI found through them artefacts and learned how they used and created these dolls I have since been trying to imbue them into my artistic practicerdquo he says This will emerge through his work Story of a God that he will seek to simplifyChildren at a previous showNoting the difference between the two traditions Moharana explains ldquoIf you look at the form of shadow puppetry in Odisha it is extremely basic in its style As you travel across India it gains more mechanical and artistic features Throughout they are used to tell mythologies My attempt is to bring a more sociocultural context to the storytelling using this mediumrdquoNagpal adds ldquoSuch exhibitions allow children to visit an art gallery and learn to appreciate and interact with an art form Bringing in shadow puppetry was interesting since children will witness how the art is performed and interact with the artistsrdquo The event will also allow children to create and colour puppets that they can take home ldquoThey might go on to play with and create their own showrdquo she saysAradhana NagpalSuch interactions can be fun says Gangavane ldquoWe have travelled across the country and overseas and at all times participants are curious about the dolls how we manipulate them and design them For children it is a very curious phenomenonrdquo he says Moharana notes that while usually puppets are created in goat skin his session will have paperdesigned puppets and art ldquoIn the endrdquo Moharana summarises ldquowe always return to the old ways of telling tales that we first heard from our grandmothersrdquoOn February 24 11 am and 2 pmAt APRE Art House Sanghvi House third Pasta Lane Apollo Bunder ColabaLog on to insiderinCost Rs 1000 onwards