The director and scriptwriter of Naak Kata Raja, Sudip Gupta, poses with his puppets. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

This winter, a new puppet show for children and those young at heart will come to town. Naak Kata Raja, by Calcutta-based group Doll’s Theatre, is based on the popular Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury tale, Tuntuni O Raja. It is about a tiny but clever bird and a proud and oppressive king.

The group is just back from touring Delhi, where the show was staged at eight Durga puja venues, including Saket, Chittaranjan Park, Mahavir Enclave, Greater Kailash, Mayur Vihar and Noida.

“To make it accessible to a wider audience, who might not understand the language, large doses of humourous action, nine songs and a pleasing end were added,” said the director and scriptwriter, Sudip Gupta. In the play, the king loses his nose while trying to catch and punish Tuntuni for making fun of him.

But the bird flies away with the bit of nose. In the play, unlike Roy’s story, the king repents in the end and gets his nose back after he promises to be good. Apart from the seven queens, ministers and guards, two characters from two other stories creep in: napith and the famous know-all cat Majanthali Sarkar.

The elephant puppet used in Operation Bhomragar was provided by Doll’s Theatre

The production avoids the rectangular frame within which stick puppet shows are typically arranged. The puppet act is also beautifully supplemented with choreographed movements by actors and dancers. The elephant, which the puppet king rides, is really an actor in a jumbo’s costume.

“We try to keep our productions as non-verbal as possible so that everyone can enjoy it,” explains Gupta. The group of eight puppeteers who make up Doll’s Theatre began its journey in 1990, working primarily around environmental issues. “Our production Taming of the Wild — which had no text, only music — toured all over the world. Padmagatha, based on the legend of Shakuntala, was also non-verbal. Here, we represented the puppet Shakuntala as Nature, with her costume and complexion resembling a lotus, inside which she had been found. King Dushyanta stood for a man, who in his forgetfulness, was threatening nature,” said Gupta.

Doll’s Theatre has also provided props for various major theatre groups in the city. “The huge elephant used in Manoj Mitra’s Operation Bhomragar was ours. The elephant, called Alhadi in the play, is a central character and has to walk around on stage. It trumpets and swings its trunk in anger and joy. We also supplied a lively dog in the Bivas Chakravarty-directed Petchuri, glove puppets in the Debesh Chattopadhyay-directed Fataru and lion, Ganesh and Durga puppets in Soumitra Basu’s Murkir Hanri. There were lots of puppets in Bidyut Nag’s Kankavati, too. We have also provided life-like props for plays directed by Debashis Majumdar and Usha Ganguli,” said Gupta.

Sebanti Sarkar

Salute to Sachin

Budding cricketers in the city can’t stop gushing about Sachin’s record at the Mohali Test. After the Little Master became the highest scorer in Test cricket with 12,027 runs, many young fans have started dreaming big, too. Here’s what they have to say:

Debapriya Sur: An all rounder. He represented Under-17 Bengal in 2007

School: Calcutta Boys’ School

The moment: I was following the match closely and was ecstatic. I wish I can do a Tendulkar some day.

Feeling: It was a proud moment as an Indian broke Brian Lara’s record. But I would have been happier if Sachin stuck around and scored a century too.

Sachin is my hero because: He has been a consistent player throughout his career. With this record, he also proved his critics — who wanted him to quit after his elbow injury — wrong.

This record is special because: An Indian achieved it and perhaps nobody else will be able to break it.

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Arijit Banerjee: An all-rounder. He played for Under-17 Bengal in 2007

School: Calcutta Boys’ School

The moment: I was watching the match in bits, but made it a point to watch the record-breaking moment. I could not have felt more happy.

Feeling: Sachin deserved it. It is an inspiration for budding cricketers like us.

Sachin is my hero because: We have grown up learning from his style. His commitment to the game is awe-inspiring.

This record is special because: This is a big milestone in cricket history. Not just Indians, the whole world is happy for Sachin.

As told to Jhinuk Mazumdar

CHIT CHAT

Culture cauldron

Apeejay School, Salt Lake, recently played host to the state convention of Spicmacay (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture amongst Youth) on October 1. After a welcome address by Principal Rita Chatterji, it was time for Kiran Seth, the founder and chairperson of the voluntary students’ movement that began in 1977, to share his experiences.

Kathak exponent Malabika Mitra enthralled the audience with her lecture-demonstration. Displaying the nuances of the Lucknow and Jaipur gharanas, Mitra emphasised how our classical dance and music are a perfect blend of science, mathematics and philosophy. She also explained the importance of riyaz to succeed in life. The demonstration was followed by planning for the Spicmacay annual cultural festival, Virasat, to be organised from November 1 to December 31.

Isha Shah,
Third year, History, Presidency College

Dickens delight

Students from classes VI to XI of Birla High School (Girls) staged Charles Dickens’ The Christmas Carol at the Vidya Mandir auditorium on October 1. It was a delightful musical, packed with lots of songs and dances. The actors were good and the props made the show more colourful. The participants had practised for a month and had even come to school on weekends to make the programme a success. “The children did a wonderful job. But it wouldn’t have been possible without our teachers,” said a parent after the show.

Shruti Daga,
Class X, Birla High School (Girls)

Hindi histrionics

St Xavier’s Collegiate School hosted the seventh edition of Rangotsav at its college auditorium last month. The event showcases talent in the field of Hindi theatre. The participating schools this year included St James School, The Heritage, Apeejay School, Park Street, Frank Anthony Public School and Assembly of God Church. St James’ skit, Parivartan aur Samaj, Samaj aur Parivartan, was much appreciated, as was the host team’s effort, titled 30, Park Street. The Heritage walked away with the winner’s trophy and Apeejay was adjudged the runners-up. The judges of the event were actors Usha Ganguly, Sudeshna Roy and Arindam Sil.

Ali Yavar Amerjee
Class XII, St Xavier’s Collegiate School