Kujaburi: Retelling the tales of childhood through puppetry

The courtyard at Alliance Française was packed to the brim with spectators of all ages. Kindergarteners were the guests of honour that day. They sat in the front rows, all waiting in anticipation for a novel experience of seeing a puppet show. But it wasn't just the children who were in for a treat, in fact, many of the older children were also about to experience a live puppet show for the very first time. 

It is hard for children to imagine a time before the internet and mass media; they can hardly picture a world where stories were told through theatre and puppetry. But these are still strong modes of storytelling.

In an attempt to remind the little ones what a powerful – and fun – medium of storytelling puppetry is, Puppet Theatre Research and Development Centre of Bangladesh (PTRDCB) held a puppet show at the courtyard of Alliance Française de Dhaka on Saturday, 4 March. 

"Puppetry plays an immense role in child education and psychology," said Rashid Haroon, Executive Director of PTRDCB and Professor of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University. "People can express through puppetry what they can't easily tell or show." 

The puppet show was an adaptation of 'Kujaburi' (Hunchback Granny) by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, a popular children's author.

'Kujaburi' at Alliance Française de Dhaka was PTRDCB's 106th production. They also organise adaptations of other famous stories like 'Tuntuni O Naak Kata Raja', 'Janoiko Gorur Sakkhatkar', 'Haati O Byeng', 'Ghengor Gheng' and others. 

‘Kujaburi’ performance at Alliance Française de Dhaka

'Kujaburi' is taught in Bangladesh's National Curriculum to grade three children. The story is strongly reminiscent of fairy tales told to children by their grandparents during bedtime or idle evenings. The story featured impossible, yet entertaining, plots that empower the childrens' imaginations. 

'Kujaburi' is a story of an old woman on her way to visit her granddaughter. She encounters a fox, tiger and a bear on her journey. 'Buri', using her wit, evades them by promising that she would make a more filling meal if they hunted her during her journey back. 

Colourful puppets dancing to swift motions of the puppeteers, lively music being played on the tabla, harmonium and mandira, and the narrating voices, filled the children's little hearts with joy. The show included multiple songs in the production and many kids danced along with the puppets. 

The entire experience felt quite nostalgic for a large part of the audience as well. These stories were told to them by their grandparents. The older generation looked in awe, perhaps remembering the times when they first heard these stories. 

At the end of the show, the grown-ups took home the message of how important it can be to share similar stories with their own children and grandchildren, creating similar memories and bonding experiences with their little ones they so fondly remember.