Dadi Pudumjee
Encyclopedia
Dadi Pudumjee is a leading puppeteer
in India
and the founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 1992.
He is the President of UNIMA
www.unima.org and past member of the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi
.
later at the NID National Institute of Design
and Darpana Academy of Performing Arts
in Ahmedabad
under late Meher Contractor, after which he went to the Marionette Theatre Institute in Stockholm
, Sweden, and studied puppetry under Michael Meschke.
He was later a guest director at the Puppen Theatre, Berlin, GDR Jan 1979. He directed and designed a shadow play the double shadow, on a folk tale by Vijaydan Detha
In 1980, he founded the Sutradhar Puppet Theatre at the puppetry division at the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts in New Delhi and was its artistic director until 1986, after which he set up his own puppet company, The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust.
Pudumjee's puppetry is not restricted to the more common versions of string- and hand-puppets. He has also used semi-sculptural puppets that are attached to actors' bodies and carried across stage.
Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust includes a variety of other media and performers: dancers, actors, objects. Many of his performances are designed to appeal to children, but he has also, especially in his work that addresses themes such as HIV/AIDS and substance use, taken up more adult themes. He ranges freely across multiple cultural traditions. Some of his performances are adaptations of material familiar in traditional Indian theatre, like the story of Ram
and Sita
or his 2004 work based on the adventures of Vikram and Betaal
(Vampire Tales), titled Transpositions.
He has traveled widely to perform as well as teach in many countries including the U.K., Russia, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil,U.S.A,Sweden, Singapore, South Africa,Spain . Pudumjee and his troupe performed a version of the Vikram-Betaal myth at New York's La MaMa Theater.
Over the year he has worked extensively with children, especially street children, including his 2007 project with street children of Salaam Baalak Trust
, for UNESCO Paris and the EU on in projects on non-formal education that address HIV and substance use.
April 2008 he was elected the president of UNIMA for a four year term UNIMAs first non-European president in the organisation's 80 year history.
Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust organises the annual Ishara International puppet festival each year in January/February in Delhi, with shows in Chennai, Jaipur and Mumbai in the previous festivals. 2010 will be the 8th season of this popular festival, with both traditional and modern puppet groups from India and abroad taking part.
Ishara is known as one of India's leading modern puppet companies, Ishara creates puppet events, conducts workshops, and performances on social awareness themes. Styles range from simple rod puppets to larger than life figures and object puppetry, processional figures, shadow, glove and mixed media.
Ishara conducts workshops for various organisations and NGOs in Delhi and India.
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in 1992.
He is the President of UNIMA
UNIMA
UNIMA was founded in Prague in 1929 . In 1981, Jacques Felix moved UNIMA's headquarters to Charleville-Mézières, France...
www.unima.org and past member of the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
.
Education
His university education was in PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
later at the NID National Institute of Design
National Institute of Design
The article for the postgraduate campus can be found at National Institute of Design Gandhinagar and National Institute of Design BangaloreNational Institute of Design is a design school in India. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy and...
and Darpana Academy of Performing Arts
Darpana Academy of Performing Arts
Darpana Academy of Performing Arts is a school for performing arts in Ahmedabad Gujarat, established by Mrinalini Sarabhai and Vikram Sarabhai in 1949, it has been directed by their daughter Mallika Sarabhai for the last three decades. The school organises a three-day Interart, the "Vikram...
in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
under late Meher Contractor, after which he went to the Marionette Theatre Institute in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, and studied puppetry under Michael Meschke.
Career
Drama and puppetry pedagogue at Var theatre Medborgahuset Stockholm Sweden1979He was later a guest director at the Puppen Theatre, Berlin, GDR Jan 1979. He directed and designed a shadow play the double shadow, on a folk tale by Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha also known as Bijji is a noted writer from Rajasthan and a recipient of Padma Shri award. He is also recipient of several other awards such as Sahitya Akademi Award and Sahitya Chudamani Award....
In 1980, he founded the Sutradhar Puppet Theatre at the puppetry division at the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts in New Delhi and was its artistic director until 1986, after which he set up his own puppet company, The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust.
Pudumjee's puppetry is not restricted to the more common versions of string- and hand-puppets. He has also used semi-sculptural puppets that are attached to actors' bodies and carried across stage.
Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust includes a variety of other media and performers: dancers, actors, objects. Many of his performances are designed to appeal to children, but he has also, especially in his work that addresses themes such as HIV/AIDS and substance use, taken up more adult themes. He ranges freely across multiple cultural traditions. Some of his performances are adaptations of material familiar in traditional Indian theatre, like the story of Ram
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
or his 2004 work based on the adventures of Vikram and Betaal
Baital Pachisi
Baital Pachisi or Vetala Panchavimshati , is a collection of tales and legends within a frame story, from India. It was originally written in Sanskrit....
(Vampire Tales), titled Transpositions.
He has traveled widely to perform as well as teach in many countries including the U.K., Russia, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil,U.S.A,Sweden, Singapore, South Africa,Spain . Pudumjee and his troupe performed a version of the Vikram-Betaal myth at New York's La MaMa Theater.
Over the year he has worked extensively with children, especially street children, including his 2007 project with street children of Salaam Baalak Trust
Salaam Baalak Trust
Salaam Baalak Trust is an Indian Non-profit and Non-governmental organization, established in 1988 with the proceeds from the film "Salaam Bombay!" made on street children by noted film director, Mira Nair , which provides support for street and working children in inner cities of New Delhi,...
, for UNESCO Paris and the EU on in projects on non-formal education that address HIV and substance use.
April 2008 he was elected the president of UNIMA for a four year term UNIMAs first non-European president in the organisation's 80 year history.
Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust organises the annual Ishara International puppet festival each year in January/February in Delhi, with shows in Chennai, Jaipur and Mumbai in the previous festivals. 2010 will be the 8th season of this popular festival, with both traditional and modern puppet groups from India and abroad taking part.
Ishara is known as one of India's leading modern puppet companies, Ishara creates puppet events, conducts workshops, and performances on social awareness themes. Styles range from simple rod puppets to larger than life figures and object puppetry, processional figures, shadow, glove and mixed media.
Ishara conducts workshops for various organisations and NGOs in Delhi and India.
Awards
Awarded Padmashree by the President of India 2011- Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
, 1992 - Sanskriti Pratishan Award
- Delhi Natya Sangh Award