Dance of the Dolls: Materiality and Agency in the Putul Naach of Bengal

Abstract

In India, the relationship between puppets and their puppeteers is deeply rooted in both tradition and the act of storytelling. For Indian puppeteers, puppetry is not merely an enactment where inanimate objects are manipulated to narrate a story; it indeed reflects a symbiotic relationship where the puppet and the puppeteer are intimately linked through a common creative experience. In many traditional Indian puppet forms, and especially in Putul Naach of Bengal with which this paper is specifically concerned, the puppet itself ceases to remain just an extension of the puppeteer with a borrowed voice. However, when seen through the lens of New Materialism and Thing Theory, one may argue that the puppet possesses an inherent agency, whether it is through its design, materiality, or the stories it relates that need to be heard. The puppeteer, therefore, is not a master controlling the puppet but also a medium or a liminal entity through which the puppet’s own materiality and individuality comes to life. This interconnectedness between the object and its manipulator portrays a deeper cultural belief where the line between the animate and inanimate often blurs, carving a space for both to co-exist and co-create meaning within the context of performance. Also, by analysing the puppet as a "thing," we move beyond the idea of the puppet as a mere medium through which the performer communicates a story. Instead, the puppet itself assumes the role of an active participant in shaping the narrative. With the use of the aforementioned theoretical frameworks and the concept of the sutradhar in Bengal puppetry, this paper attempts to probe into the question of how the puppet becomes a form of agency that challenges and subverts the hierarchical understanding of power dynamics which is otherwise thought to be traditionally entrenched in this theatrical form.