Puppeteer Asks to Treat Art as Theatre

Who is speaking out

T.S. Murugan is a skilled puppeteer who comes from a long line of traditional puppet makers and performers. He spends his life keeping an old art form alive. Recently, he has been talking about the many difficulties that puppeteers face in modern times.

What is the problem

Murugan explains that making puppets by hand takes a lot of time and hard work. Writing good stories for puppet shows is also very difficult. Because of these challenges, it is hard for performers to keep doing long shows and make enough money to live. He wants the government and the public to classify Bommalattam as regular theatre to help save the tradition.

• T.S. Murugan comes from a family of traditional puppeteers.
• He performs an art form known as Bommalattam.
• Crafting puppets and writing stories takes a lot of effort.
• He wants the art form to be classified as theatre.

Why it matters

Traditional art forms like puppet shows are slowly dying out as people watch movies and TV instead. If puppetry gets recognized as theatre, it might get more support, funding, and respect so that future generations can still enjoy it.