03 September,2020 09:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Jovita Aranha
A sneak-peek at the paper puppets in the play
Nestled in the foothills of a tall hillock, ruled by a mighty maharaja, lies the quaint and picturesque town of Teelapur with its humble villagers, farmers and fruit pickers alike who love reading books. All is well until a war erupts and the attack of a rakshasha (monster) disrupts lives to strike terror in the hearts of villagers. To keep the monster that eats people's homes at bay, the villagers turn to complete blackouts, switching off every light in the household and giving up reading the books of their choice in a book balidan (sacrifice) drive.
Two courageous children, Chhotu and Guddu, live in this trouble-stricken village. As the adults hide for their safety, little Chhotu reads books in secret and refuses to turn her light off. When the soldiers of Teelapur return, they are puzzled by the state of the town. With no brave adult in sight, they turn to Chhotu, the little voice of dissent and her friend, and the victim of an attack by the rakshasha, Guddu, to take on the monster.
Puppets of villagers in Teelapur ka Rakshasha
If this mere teaser captivated you, imagine the enriching visual experience your kids could enjoy in the safety of your living room, if this story came alive in a real-time online paper-puppet show. Popular travelling puppet theatre company, Katkatha, will bring this experience to your homes, with its latest offering, Teelapur ka Rakshasha.
Written by Manjima Chatterjee, performed by Katkatha's Anurupa Roy and Mohammad Shameem with music by Anirban Ghosh, the show is a co-production with Helios Theatre in Hamm, Germany.
The Maharaja's fort in Teelapur ka Rakshasha
Katkatha will premier Teelapur Ka Rakshasha online with the performers streaming the show live from their miniature paper sets at home, while Helios will host another new show, Curtain up! Curtain down! live at their physical theatre space in Hamm in October.
Shedding light on the themes both plays touch upon, Roy shares, "Both stories are reflective of these difficult times, the questions that children have, the illusions that strike fear and the demons we are battling. The plays come from a space that acknowledges kids are intelligent, they understand the happenings of the world and show resilience, that sometimes even adults lack. While adults can be cynical, children with their unrelenting curiosity and never give up spirit, fight back. And the plays salute this spirit."
Manjima Chatterjee
The writer of the play, Manjima Chatterjee echoes Roy's thoughts adding that Teelapur ka Rakshasha is a fairy-tale where children win over insurmountable odds.
"It is a David vs Goliath story, but set in a recognisable context, where our heroes are kids. In many ways, it teaches them to not accept or settle things the way they are but to ask the right questions and figure the good and the bad."
Anurupa Roy
While the story is certainly gripping, we ask Roy if the digital template is a blessing or a curse. "With this online viewing format that is emerging, we are changing the notion of the stage from the proscenium we have always worked with. And while there are several philosophical debates if the format can still be called theatre since it isn't happening in a live physical space, one shouldn't overlook the numerous possibilities that the medium brings. The medium allows you to create a whole new world inside a box. As the camera moves closer, the paper puppets come to life, electrical torches turn to mashaals, and the box begins to exist in the audiences' heads as a physical tangible space. While you miss out on the paraphernalia around, the final picture is brought to view like a cinematic experience," she signs off.
On September 5 at 6.30 pm; September 6 at 5pm
Cost Rs 250
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