Japanese puppeteers tug audience’s heartstrings

The audience at the National School of Drama’s Abhimanch Auditorium were treated to a traditional Japanese puppet show or Bunraku last week. Organised by the Japan Foundation, the presentation shed light on the intricacies of the ancient craft.

At the beginning of the show, there was an introduction by a Tayu, or narrator, who was accompanied by an artiste strumming the Shamisen, a traditional Japanese three-stringed lute.

The narrator demonstrated the various stances of Bunraku puppets and their emotional abilities. The Shamisen, which held like a guitar, bears closer resemblance to a sitar, as the player slides his hands up and down its strings to access the right notes.

Bunraku started as a popular entertainment for the commoners during the Edo period, between 1603 and 1868, when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, in Osaka and evolved into a full-fledged art form during the late 17th century. Along with other art forms Noh and Kabuki, it is recognised by UNESCO as ‘intangible cultural heritage’.

The story that was being enacted was of a young woman who was forced to warn her countrymen of a disaster that would befall her village. The lead puppeteers manouvered the marionettes in a breathtaking manner; the puppet of an old man was particularly interesting. Every part of his face could be moved by strings that were attached to levers and a small machine that was attached to its neck. His hands and fingers were also similarly manipulated by separate puppeteers.

The movements of the puppets were very similar to Noh and Kabuki, as they were made to strike dramatic mie poses, which are the trademarks of the aforementioned theatres traditions. The puppets also mimicked the shuffling movements of the players.

Also last week, the play Ghalib Ke Khat was presented by Pierot’s Troupe at the LTG auditorium. The play, directed by Mohammad Sayed Alam and written by Sayed Alam, offers a short but not quite satisfying glimpse into the eponymous poet’s life and works.

The play is a tribute as much as to Ghalib as to the actor who plays him, Tom Alter, who portrays Ghalib as an old man. In this depiction, the poet is plagued by respiratory ailments, but dreams of imbibing his customary evening drink. If more attention was paid to the music for Ghalib’s ghazals, the play would have been much more satisfying. Having made the script so lively, the director should have given some thought to the music.