Kumar Shaw is nothing if not a thorough storyteller—whether it is a casual conversation about his workshop in the city or his expedition on his cycle across the country. “Let me tell you a story,” he begins, with a laugh, “At the end of it, maybe, you can guess the moral.” Now, for a narrator, holding an audience’s rapt attention throughout is a challenge. But given his remarkable journey cycling across 21 states of the country in a span of 420 days, this feat seems plausible in comparison. “I never planned to set out on this journey. The idea came to me in the form of a story about a boy and his balloon on a cycle. I decided I would improvise the character.”
Setting out on his travel from Aliyar on August 7, 2017, the 31-year-old travelled through Tamil Nadu before reaching Kerala, where he conducted his first shadow puppet session at a local school. “I did not know the language very well and this was one way I could illustrate the story I wanted to tell.”
Master of puppets
In the city, for a two-day shadow puppet workshop in association with Udalveli Arts Foundation, Kumar, who has been involved in theatre for the last decade, explains that he will be sharing storytelling techniques that he learnt over the course of his tour. “My attempt is to help participants engage with a space using their body and a few additional props and tell their story.” Apart from discussing the basics, like creating puppets with paper and their handling, the use of voice and language will be a key area of focus at his sessions. “Up until Gujarat, I’d use body language and gestures to tell a story, especially since I did not know the language. However, in Gujarat, I decided to put on a show in Tamil, offering hints in English,” he explains on how puppets have a language of their own that cuts across cultural barriers.
Miles to go
Having completed his journey towards the end of last year, the Pollachi artiste, who has been involved with Chennai’s theatre troupe Manal Magudi, says that his quest for stories from across the country’s landscape will continue. “There is much to learn and discover from things around you. Accepting that is the first epiphany that you will have when you travel alone.”
Rs 1,300. At Clusters Institute of Media and Technology. Starts February 16. From 9 am onwards.