Puppetry masterclass by Dadi Pudumjee at Indian Institute of Art and Design

The Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), Delhi, hosted a masterclass in puppetry with Padma Shri awardee Dadi Pudumjee.

The Communication Design department of IIAD invited Pudumjee to give the students an insight into the advancements of puppetry in India. The session was put together by IIAD and The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, which aims at upgrading performance skills, creating opportunities for collaborations and bringing puppet groups and puppeteers together both in India and abroad.

Pudumjee demonstrated various forms of puppetry such as shadow puppetry, hand puppetry and rod puppetry. He talked about the materials used to make puppets and how Indian puppets are named after the materials they are made with, contrary to the western nomenclature where they are named after the method of puppeteering. He explained the evolution of Indian puppetry over the years and also talked about how puppeteering can be a tool for storytelling and, in many ways, is a precursor to films.

Showcasing some of his own works and snippets from his productions When Land Became Water, Pudumjee also conducted live performances for the students and staff.

A pioneer in puppeteering, Pudumjee has been professionally involved in the craft since 1976.

Students of the four-year undergraduate design course, three-year undergraduate business course and those in the postgraduate Fashion Design, Fashion Business Management and Communication Design courses participated in the event.

The session captivated the students and faculty as one rarely gets the opportunity to watch a maestro such as Pudumjee explain his craft and life's work.

Pudumjee has been a frequent collaborator with IIAD faculty members like Shaaz Ahmed, associate professor of Communication Design, and Gunjan Arora, course leader, MA Fashion Design, with whom he has worked on many occasions, including Haider.