Bhubaneswar, Jan. 8: It's a classic case of how art changes with the changing times.
From staging tales only from the Ramayan to highlighting contemporary social issues, shadow puppetry, which originated around fifth century BC, has changed with the times.
Leading the change is Gouranga Charan Dash, 60, a practitioner of the art form and a leading member of the group, the Srirama Institute of Shadow Theatre. The institute is one of the few groups in the state, which is trying to revive the age-old art form in the state.
And if the houseful theatre at a show staged by the institute at Ekamra Haat on Wednesday is anything to go by, the art form retains its popularity among the urban masses.
The institute staged a puppetry show on Sitathaba or The Quest for Sita here.
Dash has been staging shadow puppetry shows at educational institutions across the country, village carnivals and star hotels with the aim of keeping the art form alive.
"I am attempting to use the art form as a catalyst for social change. So, instead of just narrating tales of Lord Ram, I try to highlight contemporary issues. However, I still prefer to call it Ravan Chhaya, even though the ethos have changed," said Dash, who has done his PhD in puppet theatre.
The art form, which rose to prominence in third century AD, traditionally enacted stories of Lord Ram and his tussle with Ravan from a text, Vichitra Ramayan, written by medieval era Odia poet Vishwanath Khuntia.
However, Dash, instead of the usual tales of Ram, generally writes his own script on contemporary issues, and sometimes, adapts tales of writers such as Rabindranath Tagore.
In another innovative move, the practitioners of the art form are also incorporating patta chitra instead of continuing with the traditional style of making puppets.
"Without changing the basics of the art form, we have adopted patta chitra to design the puppets. This suits our stories and also adds a new dimension to the traditional style," said Dash.
Some of the popular productions of the institute include Bapu Katha, Nehru Katha, Mahalakshmi Katha and Sita Chori (Sita's Abduction).
The 10-member group stages more than 20 shows in a year. Based in Angul, it aims at nurturing new talent who could continue to carry the legacy of the art form in the state. "Apart from training youngsters, we facilitate research in the field ," said Dash, who has also founded Kandhei Ghar, an organisation of puppetry artistes.
"We generally do not get to see shadow puppet shows in the city. So, when I came to know about the show, I did not want to miss the chance. The show was mesmerising," said Ananya Biswal, a 25-year-old IT professional who attended the show.
