India has a rich tradition in shadow puppetry, which has survived till now. Some of the features of shadow puppetry are: Shadow puppets are flat figures cut out of leather.
The figures are painted identically on both sides of the leather.
The puppets are placed on a white screen with light falling from behind, creating a shadow on the screen.
The figures are manipulated so that the silhouettes created on the blank screen create telling imagery.
Some of the popular examples of shadow puppetry are:
Togalu Gombeyatta
It is the popular shadow theatre of Karnataka. A unique feature of the Togalu Gombayetta puppets is the variation of puppet size based on social status, i.e. kings and religious figures are characterised by large puppets while common people and servants are shown by smaller puppets.
Ravanchhaya
It is the most theatrical of shadow puppetry and is a popular form of entertainment in the Odisha region. The puppets are made of deerskin and depict bold dramatic postures. They do not have any joints attached to them, making it a more complex art. There is the use of non-human puppets, such as trees and animals as well. The Ravanchhaya artists are thus extremely trained in their art – creating a lyrical and sensitive theatrical narration.
Tholu Bommalata
It is the shadow theatre of Andhra Pradesh. The show is accompanied by a classical background in the music and themed around mythological and devotional tales of the epics and Puranas. The puppets are larger in size and colour on both sides.
