Ranchi, Jan. 22: Students from various schools were treated to the colourful world of puppetry by the puppet group, Dolls Theatre.

The event was organised as part of the ongoing Virasat festival organised by SpicMacay.

The play, named “Taming of the Wild” comprised four episodes: “The World Within”, “Floral Tribute”, “Movement in Wilderness” and “Call of the Wild”.

In the first episode, “The World Within”, the artistes portrayed the the importance of unity. It shows how members of a fish family outwit a man on a fishing spree by staying united.

The second episode, “Floral Tribute” has environment as the theme. .

The director of the nine-member “Dolls Theatre” group — Sudip Gupta — has been in the puppetry since 1983.

Initially he took this as a research work and also had a fellowship from the Union culture ministry during 1989-91. Apart from directing a number of puppet plays he has worked in films and television, and also has been a set designer.

In addition to developing and directing different modern puppet plays he took this media as a performing art and went on several stages in India and abroad. Applying new technique in the contemporary puppetry, his presentations carry a new idea — a creation of medium to reach and relate mankind and nature.

During the course of their decade-long involvement in the art form, Dolls Theatre has worked in mass media like Doordarshan and films. They have also conducted workshops and performed their plays in India and abroad to generate interest in the art form.