In a bid to rejuvenate the art of puppetry, the Sangeet Natak Akademi or SNA in Tripura has launched a specialised training program for children in collaboration with the Tripura Puppet Theater. Prabhitangsu Das, a renowned puppeteer and SNA awardee based in Agartala, shared since 2022, the Tripura Puppet Theatre has been offering comprehensive training in puppetry, covering both the crafting of puppets and their manipulation techniques.
“We began this training program for children in 2022. It was not on a regular basis initially but we began offering training regularly by April 2023. We provided training every Sunday, culminating in public performances of puppetry, from 2023 to 2024. These sessions were open to all. The session in March 2024 concluded with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Tripura Puppet Theater,” said Prabhitangsu Das, who also serves as the Tripura Puppet Theatre director.
Further he stated after witnessing this initiative, officials from Sangeet Natak Akademi approached him to provide similar training for children under the Kala Deeksha program for one year.
“They approached me to train 10 children, covering aspects from puppet-making to manipulation, among other skills. The training started on March 1 this year. Currently, we are focusing on puppet-making, postponing the puppet performances for the time being. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is providing them with a stipend for this effort,” he informed.
In 1974, the Tripura Puppet Theater was founded by Haripada Das, debuting with the choreographed drama Lav and Kush. The theatre is now overseen by Haripada Das’s son Prabhitangsu Das.
This February, the Tripura Puppet Theatre held a three-day-long Tripura International Puppet Festival to commemorate the theatre’s 50th anniversary. Puppet theatre groups from the US, Brazil, Spain, and Bangladesh, along with six groups from New Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and host Tripura, took part in the event.
