How do they switch from one voice to another so quickly? Puppeteers Sangya Ojha and Hashim Haider say it is all in the “ Adrak ki chai!” Ojha and Haider are in Tirupur for an evening of puppetry to celebrate the inauguration of Caterpillar Clubhouse, an activity centre for children. The function was held at Poppy's Hotel. Tiny tots clutching their mothers' saris wait in anticipation. The red, satin curtains open and Tia, a yellow puppet (Haider and Ojha refer to them as moppets) pops up. “Please switch off your mobile phones,” she says to the adults in the audience. She also asks the kids, much to their delight, to switch off their imaginary cell phones. They do. And the show begins.
Sangya and Hashim have been puppeteers since 2006. They played the roles of Aanchoo and Elmo, and The Bollywood Dude respectively on ‘Galli Galli Sim Sim', the Indian version of ‘Sesame Street' that was aired on POGO. “I was pursuing a Master's in Mass Communication in Delhi, when I came to know about the ‘Sesame Street India' auditions,” says Sangya. “I wanted to make some quick money. That's how I got into puppetry. I never thought I would take this up as my profession eventually.” Hashim, who was a part of Delhi's theatre scene for a long time, has a similar story to tell.
Once their contract with ‘Galli Galli…' expired, the duo decided to start their own puppet-design and production company. ‘The Puppetarians' was born on January 1, 2011. Since then, Sangya and Hashim have performed over 200 shows and held puppetry workshops for the young and the old. “We want kids in every nook and corner of the country to be entertained by and educated through moppets. Our idea is to bring quality moppets to the live puppetry scene in the country,” says Sangya. “So far, there weren't too many opportunities for us, puppeteers, to organise live shows for children. But the puppetry scene in India is certainly improving. People like Saranya (of Caterpillar Clubhouse) are inviting us over to introduce children to the world of puppets. It feels wonderful!”
Once Tia, the yellow moppet, vanishes, we see an old man and ‘Monster G' doing a lively jig for a peppy number. The kids clap, dance and laugh. Following this, Chaman ‘Grey' Vidyasagar peeps out of the fold-up puppet stage. “I love books. A book is my best friend. I like to read from start to end,” he sings and gets back to reading. The children squeal in delight when they see Nandu, the naughty moppet, who pesters Chaman to play a ‘rhyme game' with him. The kids are also invited to be a part of the game and they emerge winners!
During the course of the evening, the children meet Fanny, who encourages them to be imaginative, and Mr. Forgetful, who forgets to brush his teeth every morning. The kids roar like lions and trumpet like elephants to wake up sleepy Chaman. They make puppets with socks, ping-pong balls, fur and bindis , and try out different voices. “Now, think of a name for your puppet, say it out loud in your false voice and move your fingers,” instructs Sangya. “My name is Mohan,” says little Mohan, who wiggles his thumb to make his sock puppet speak. “‘Dora', ‘Ben', ‘Barbie', ‘Chota Bheem',” shout the others. A few others prefer a quieter and more private conversation with their puppets. As the evening draws to a close, Nandu, the naughty moppet hugs and plants smacking kisses on the kids' cheeks.
