Handmade joy: The art and heart of Jolputul Puppets

"My name is Hoilda! I love climbing trees," announced the yellow puppet with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, hey! Why are you calling yourself Hoilda? Your name is Holud (Yellow)!" retorted the other puppet, arms crossed in mock disapproval.

"Nope, I'm Hoilda, and that's final!" came the stubborn reply.

The stage shook with laughter as the two puppets argued, their antics sparking waves of delight among the children sitting below. Some clapped furiously, others shouted in gleeful support, while the more curious ones tried to sneak behind the curtain, hoping to uncover the secrets of the puppet magic.

These moments of joy were crafted by none other than Jolputul Puppets, a team of passionate artists who have been enchanting audiences since 2005. At the heart of the commotion were two puppet characters, Lal and Holud, whose playful banter had an effortless charm that left children in stitches.

Puppetry has long been a treasured form of entertainment, stretching back to medieval fairs and gatherings. Germany, with its iconic character Kasper, was one of the earliest adopters of this art form, using it to critique societal flaws with sharp humour. Meanwhile, Italy introduced Pulcinella, the string puppet that evolved into Polichinelle in France and eventually inspired Punch in England. Variations of Punch appeared across the world—from Kasper in Germany to Vasilche in Eastern Europe.

In Bangladesh, puppetry found its modern resurgence in the hands of Mustafa Monwar, a legendary artist who elevated the medium. Today, his legacy continues through the work of teams like Jolputul Puppets, ensuring the tradition thrives in the hands of a new generation.

The Puppet Expedition Begins

Saiful Journal, the main organiser of Jolputul Puppets, first connected with the world of puppetry back in 2005 during his time with the theatre group Prachyanat. It was there he learned that Mustafa Monwar, renowned as Bangladesh's 'Puppet Man,' would be conducting a workshop on puppetry. Saiful, already passionate about learning the art, seized the opportunity to train under this legendary artist.

Saiful honed his skills at the Educational Puppet Development Center founded by Mustafa Monwar and contributed to its productions. Realising puppetry was largely limited to stage performances, he shifted focus to hand puppets to make the art more accessible, especially for children's emotional and mental growth. 

Recognising puppetry as a collaborative craft, Saiful gathered a passionate team, including Azmain Azad, Shahriar Shawon, Asif Chowdhury, and Raihan Rafi, who now play key roles alongside him in Jolputul Puppets' creative endeavors.

"We wanted to make puppetry simple," Saiful explained. "Our goal was to create something that children could easily learn and craft themselves. That's how we started."

From the very beginning, Jolputul Puppets focused on engaging children. Their work combines entertainment with education, striving to help children grow into compassionate individuals.

From Aesop's fables to contemporary stories

Since Jolputul Puppets primarily works with children, their storytelling prioritises crafting narratives that resonate with young audiences. Every story is designed to ensure that children not only enjoy it but also take away meaningful lessons. The team places great emphasis on maintaining moral and positive messages in their scripts, balancing entertainment and values.

Over the years, Jolputul Puppets has performed shows based on Aesop's "The Honest Woodcutter," Kazi Nazrul Islam's poem 'Lichu Chor', Sukumar Ray's 'Obak Jolpan', and many other beloved tales.

Saiful explains, "We always focus on what children learn from the stories, whether it's an ancient tale like Aesop's fables or a modern one. The goal isn't to force lessons upon them but to let them learn naturally as they watch. We also try to incorporate contemporary themes while reimagining classic stories in ways that appeal to today's kids."

He adds, "We adapt to the times while ensuring the moral essence of the story remains intact."

Azad emphasises connecting with children directly during performances. "We always start by engaging with them, asking how they're doing, and tailoring our approach to the event's context. While some scripts are pre-written, we often create interactive, spontaneous sessions." 

For instance, during a flood relief show, they used a bird character to narrate stories of displaced people, making their work relatable. Jolputul Puppets also tackles social issues, promoting values like politeness and good manners often missing in society.

Four main characters and many more

Jolputul Puppets features four central characters— Lal, Hoilda, Ganer Pakhi (The Singing Bird), and Gheu. Among them, Ganer Pakhi uses its melodious voice to sing and share important information. Gheu, a playful lion cub, takes on the role of a dog. 

Lal and Hoilda are two friends constantly engaged in humorous banter. Hoilda is mischievous and loves annoying others, while Lal is disciplined, always following rules, attending school, and adhering to moral values.

Describing the characters, Saiful says, "Hoilda uses very colloquial language and often blurts out inappropriate things, but Lal tries to correct him, teaching him to speak properly and avoid saying unpleasant things."

These characters bring life to every show, both at the beginning and end. "They are iconic characters who serve as hosts," Saiful explains.

"They interact with the children, asking how they are and what kind of stories they'd like to hear. From there, we transition into the main narrative, and toward the end, the characters return to ask the children for feedback and if they'd like to hear more stories."

Azad explains that Jolputul Puppets often perform behind sets, sparking children's curiosity as they try to peek behind the scenes. The group performs across Bangladesh, focusing on underprivileged children with free shows in locations like Kamalapur Railway Station, Sadarghat, and Korail slum in Dhaka, as well as districts like Sylhet, Khulna, and Bandarban. They also perform at corporate events for companies like Grameenphone and UCB Bank and occasionally at private celebrations, such as birthdays or pre-wedding ceremonies, for a fee.

How Puppets Are Made

For larger puppets, the process begins with creating a mould using clay. Layers of paper pieces are then placed over the mould using glycerin and petroleum jelly. After 2-3 layers, the structure is left to dry in the sun before painting. The entire process takes about 2-3 days.

Another member, Shawon, adds, "After painting, the puppet's eyes are crucial for expressions. It's not enough to just attach a button for eyes. The eyes, combined with characterisation and voice, complete the puppet's personality."

For some puppets, plaster is used for the outer structure, which is polished with various paints to create a glossy finish. Other puppets are made with wool and jute. For hair, they often use materials like winter clothing and shopping bags.

Shawon elaborates, "We sometimes draw eyes by hand or use buttons and balls. For certain puppets, we use plaster of Paris over balls. If a puppet's arms or legs break, we repair them using bandages soaked in water, which harden after drying."

The team primarily uses familiar materials like bottles and balls for most puppets. "Our puppets resemble the traditional string puppets of this region but are operated by hand instead of strings. Like string puppets, ours also rely heavily on gestures and minimal dialogue," says Shawon.

Asif, another team member, shares, "Once a puppet is made, creating replicas takes less time. Some characters appear only once in a show, while others become recurring features. Since kids prefer interactive puppets, we focus on making hand puppets, which has become our signature style."

Crafting larger plaster puppets typically takes 2-3 days of continuous work, but for more complex designs, it can take up to 6-7 days. Through creativity and teamwork, Jolputul Puppets continues to inspire and educate children with their unique style of puppet-making.Jolputul Puppets also hold workshops to teach children how to make puppets. These workshops are conducted at their office on Elephant Road, Dhaka, where children come on weekends to learn the craft of puppet-making.

Azad shares, "We teach the kids every detail—from crafting puppets to voicing them and even writing stories. When we perform puppet shows on the road, we often conduct short workshops as well."

Teamwork is the key to a good puppet show. It's not enough to have a compelling story; the puppets must be designed and voiced to match the characters. Every puppet used in Jolputul's shows is handmade by the team members themselves.

Most of their puppets are hand puppets, often crafted using recycled materials like bottles. They also create glove puppets, talking puppets, and rod puppets. Old socks, fabrics, and paper lying around the house often serve as the base materials, allowing children trained in their workshops to make similar puppets.

The training is tailored to children's age groups. Azmain explains, "For kids aged 4 to 5, we focus on simple sock puppets made from household materials. Older kids, like those in grades four or five, learn more advanced techniques such as cutting foam for puppet heads, building bodies, and crafting arms and legs."

Sponsorship challenges

For 19 years, Jolputul Puppets has operated as a volunteer-driven organisation, yet institutional support for puppetry in Bangladesh remains absent. Saiful highlights this gap, stating, "Institutions like Shilpakala Academy and Shishu Academy sponsor music and dance but overlook puppetry." He adds, "While we've worked tirelessly, and pioneers like Mustafa Monwar have advanced the art since independence, puppetry has received no substantial support over the last five decades. Neglect and poor management have pushed it toward extinction." 

Traditional rural puppetry, such as string puppets, is also vanishing, with only a few struggling troupes remaining. Saiful emphasises that puppetry is a vital medium for fostering children's mental development and cultural awareness, calling for state, corporate, and private sector support.

Jolputul Puppets also accepts custom puppet orders. Over the years, their creations have been collected by people both in Bangladesh and abroad. Saiful explains, "When someone wants to buy a puppet, we show them samples, and they can also share their designs with us. The cost depends on the quantity—ordering just two pieces incurs higher production costs, while larger orders are more economical."

Their puppets have reached international audiences, including Korea and Scotland. A few years ago, they even created custom puppets for a campaign by Scotland's First Minister.