What do you know About Ram? Your answer could range from everything to nothing. But there’s something in Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust’s production About Ram for everyone. The Ramayana, around which it centres does stand for some of the most universal themes — it is after all a story of faith, betrayal, conflict, reconciliation to one’s choice and finally, loneliness. The Ramayana is also probably one epic that has been interpreted the maximum number of times and with the most perspectives. Which is why the choice of the theme for the performance was a challenging one.

Anurupa Roy, director, agrees, “When you take on something like the Ramayana, which has been performed for so many years, there are several vital choices to make. In fact it was conceived after Vishal Dar (co-producer) and I saw the Balinese Ramayana. I have been reading hundreds of versions of the Ramayana from India and South Asia ever since. And this production isn’t really based on any one — it is an amalgam of all of them.”

An amalgam it was — of cultures, of dance forms, of musical influences, of genres, of images and styles of storytelling. The performance, where a combination of shadow, glove, rod and string puppets are used, begins with Ram lying unconscious on the seaside, plagued with memories and agonised by his separation from Sita, his wife. To be able to reach her he must cross the sea to reach Lanka — a journey that seems inconceivable to the emotionally broken Ram at that point in time. But he must scale the journey and to scale it he needs to stretch him limits beyond human endurance. He must bring to life his super-human alter ego Hanuman. One of the distinctive aspects of the performance being this conscious effort to project a human face of a Ram, who has traditionally always construed as being divine.

On reaching Lanka, Hanuman finds Sita in the Ashok Vatika and presents Ram’s ring to her — a touching moment which triggers off for Sita a host of reminiscences of the beautiful moments spent with her husband. Hanuman is then captured by a demon who sets his tail on fire, with which Hanuman sets Lanka ablaze. Then there is a war with Ravan after which Ram is found lying wounded – a poignant moment because he sees Sita waiting for him. This is probably one of the most convincing parts of the performance — a conflict ridden Ram who is plagued with questions about the purity of his wife. His problems are confounded by the fact that he has to make these choices not only as a lover and a husband but as a king who must do the right thing. This is what makes his conflict and his tragedy even more profound.

The three puppeteers manipulating Ram’s puppet (inspired by Bunraku, the traditional puppet theatre of Japan, which has multiple puppeteers to manipulate puppets and are integral parts of the narrative) also doubling up as his conscience put up a remarkably restrained performance. Ram finally makes his choice — to rule his kingdom alone for the next 10,000 years while Sita sinks into the earth. A moving moment that puppeteer Anurupa does full justice to.

The music in the performance by percussionist Abhijeet Banerjee was memorable; interspersed with cross-cultural influences: from the Indonesian Kechak (an Indonesian percussion form created with the mouth) to the Orissa-based mayurbhanj and pakhawaj. The choreography, ranging from Ravana being played by a masked puppeteer through a Kathakali-inspired performance to the fight sequence between Ram and Ravana influenced by the Seraikella Chau dance form was fascinating.

But where the About Ram team does ground-breaking work is in its beautiful juxtaposition of puppetry and animation. About Ram is a performance that has something for all your senses – it is visually gorgeous at one level and the music will linger for a very long time. But what’s important is that it also stirs some serious intellectual debate. “That’s our objective met,” confesses Anurupa, “A puppet is nothing but a suggestive instrument where the audience can never be passive. You could have loved the performance or not liked it at all, but at least it begins a dialogue.”

The true work of art is but a shadow of divine perfection

— Michelangelo

This summer, the culture vultures of Kolkata got a different taste of artistic presentation amidst much fanfare. On view was an eye-catching colourful splurge that witnessed the celebration of Art For Art’s Sake at a slick venue. Called the Avani Signature, the giant property threw open a grand art fair — Signature Art Fest 2008 at its premises on the inauguration day.

Shedding light on this unique initiative of infusing art into a shoppers’ paradise, S.L. Daga, chairman, Avani Group said: “With a view to lend the discerning art aficionados of this culture capital a rare opportunity to simply appreciate the beauty of a painter’s brushstroke and his palette passion or a sculptor’s chiselled route to carve out a piece of bronze or stone into lifelike shapes, this concept of an art mela was formulated on a mammoth scale. So, promoting art and the artists was of paramount importance.

We have made an attempt to create an ambience where a congenial blend of both culture and commercial viabilities could be brandished on a broader spectrum. In tandem, both the budding aspirants as well as the already accomplished artists get to exploit a platform that showcases their skills before a larger cross-section of audience, investors and the prospective buyers. Basically, this event would ensure to bolster the cause of art and the artists from across the length and breadth of the nation.”

Cut to 2008. Now slick consumer malls famous for the otherwise branded commodities, glamorous celebs and glossy merchandise double up as a pristine seat of art and culture. The organisers and proponents of such large-scale art-melas feel that this platform serves up a golden chance for the young painters not only to mingle with the doyen artists but also to keep tabs over the contemporary market’s characteristic demands. It’s a gateway to an art mart on a bigger canvas, thus scaling beyond the cramped retail outlets with limited fare in hand.

The city-based art hubs have spread their wings into other lucrative havens to lure in the art buffs in greater numbers. Add to this, the curiosity levels of the laymen who normally don’t frequent to a high-profile art exhibition that attracts only a niche audience but invariably feels the urge to check out a glittering art fair which is anyday, a crowd-puller.

“Indians by nature possess this tendency to act impulsively at the behest of a word-of-mouth publicity to drop in at festivities and take a sneak peek of the happenings around. Moreover, while visiting a large-scale display of artwork, the buyers get to select pieces reasonably fitting into all pockets. Besides, with a congested attendance registered on such events, people bump into a troop of like-minded guests and friends at the venue. Talks and discussions are also delivered at some interactive panel sessions,” felt proficient painter Jogen Chowdhury.

Seasoned artist Tarun Dey observed: “With the onset of present-day market expansion, the volume of sales transaction in the art mart has increased in leaps and bounds. This is yet again a favourable sign in the post-modern era. You see, Bengal had once reeled under the crushing wheels of a fund crunch. So it’s high-time that the investors grab this healthy opportunity to permanently wipe out the menacing monetary crisis. This new-age economic support is also essential to stimulate any given form of art movement.”