Kolkata witnesses a unique milieu of Italian and Indian storytelling in Pinocchio

Kolkata witnessed a unique take on the enchanting world of the Italian fable Pinocchio this Saturday at Madhusudan Mancha. The event organised by FREED in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata was a sight to behold with homegrown folk and theatre artists narrating the story through Patachitra and puppet shows.

“We are trying to organise different sorts of activities and programmes to bring Italian and Indian roots closer. Today’s event was about narrating a story and we chose Patachitra as it’s a very organic way of storytelling through vibrant pictures. We could have portrayed Pinocchio through Sholak or Dokra artists but that wouldn’t have added anything to the narration part of this tale, it would be more of a visual medium,” shares Consul General of Italy Gianluca Rubagotti.

The evening kicked off with a magical performance by Ramapada Ghorui who narrated the tale of Pinocchio through traditional puppets and musical instruments, followed by Patachitra artist Monimala Chitrokar from Pingla, Paschim Midnapore, who narrated the classic Italian fable through a vocal performance that unfolded with a long piece of cloth-based scroll painting full of intricate details from the fable. Pinocchio and his mates got a makeover through the paintings, as they were portrayed in Bengali attire, with big lotus bud shaped eyes typical to the painting style.

This was followed by a spectacular puppetry show by The Dolls Theatre, where contemporary creative puppets merged perfectly with traditional aspects of it. Unique dolls created specifically for the show enthralled the audiences, accompanied by breathtaking special effects created with lights and cloth.

“We are planning on a few more engaging and interactive events in the future to bring cultural roots of the two countries closer, in turn strengthening the socio-cultural relations between the two,” concludes Rubagotti.

Traditional handicraft artists also showcased their Pinocchio themed pop-up items as a part of the event