TN artist takes to puppetry to spread awareness on COVID-19
The three-minute skit debunks false claims such asdevelopment of medicine for curing coronavirus and stresses onthe importance of staying at home during the ongoing lockdownto check the spread of the deadly infection through thecaptivating performance using the little puppets.
The man behind the timely and educative play, 62-year oldMu Kalaivanan, a city-based "Bommalattam" (puppet) artist,says people do accept the message if it is shown in a qualityand an imaginative way.
"It took a whole day for me to develop the setting andthe entire voice over, including that of the house wifecharacter, has been given by me," Kalaivanan told . He took up the project on a request from a Non-GovernmentOrganisation (NGO) which wanted to create awareness on thecoronavirus pandemic across ages.
The skit, whose plot revolves around a family of four,parents and two children and set in the present scenario ofnational lockdown, has been videographed and uploaded onsocial media platforms to ensure it reaches maximum audience.
Kalaivanan hails from a family of artists and his fatherMuthu Koothan was a lyricist and had penned many songs formatine idol-turned politician M G Ramachandran's films.
Having performed over 6,700 puppet shows since 1976 whenhe took it up as a career, the man now teaches the nuances ofthe art form to those interested, besides conducting similarawareness events. "As soon as I got the message from the NGO CAG, I startedto work upon the script and developed it as a skit," he said.
His sons Mutharasan and Pagalavan, both graduates, helpedhim in developing the concept and then set up the studio,scored the background music and edited the video. "I have been doing puppet shows since 1976 along with myfather and since then whenever voice of woman is required Iused to do it and later further developed that skill. I canspeak in voices of children as well as elders," Kalaivanansaid.
Asked about patronage to the folk art, which used to bepart of temple festivals in rural areas, with the advent ofdigital media, he said he had been laying thrust on qualityand had been successful. "In our shows I have ensured we neither use indecentdialogues nor attack any individual... nor inclined toward anypolitical party. It is through this medium I have beensuccessful..", he said.
In the skit, the lead character, the family head,explains to his wife, son and daughter-in-law, that spread ofcoronavirus was very fast and only because of that thegovernment has announced the lockdown and tells them not toventure out for sundry things.
He also says no medicine has been found so far for curingcoronavirus and ask them not to believe in viral messages tothe contrary. VIJ VSRAVINDRANATH VSRAVINDRANATH