Overview
Anurupa Roy is an Indian puppeteer, puppet designer and theatre director known for her work in contemporary puppet theatre. She is the founder and managing trustee of the Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, a Delhi-based collective that has helped position puppetry as a serious medium of contemporary performance in India.
Key facts
| Name | Anurupa Roy |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Puppeteer, puppet designer, theatre director |
| Organisation | Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust |
| Role | Founder and managing trustee |
| Base | New Delhi, India |
| Field | Contemporary puppet theatre |
Background
Roy trained in puppetry both in India and abroad, drawing on Indian traditional puppet forms as well as European contemporary puppet practice. Her work combines techniques from shadow, rod, glove and string puppetry with object theatre and visual design, and is often staged in collaboration with actors, musicians and designers.
Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust
Roy founded Katkatha as a platform for original puppet productions, training programmes and community engagement. Under her direction, the group has produced full-length puppet plays for adult audiences, addressing themes drawn from mythology, history, social conflict and current affairs, in addition to performances aimed at children. Katkatha has also conducted workshops with schools, universities and community groups, and has worked on projects involving children in conflict-affected regions.
Work and themes
Her productions are noted for treating puppetry as a vehicle for adult dramatic storytelling rather than only as children's entertainment. Recurring concerns in her work include questions of identity, violence, displacement, gender and the reinterpretation of epic and mythological narratives through visual theatre. She has also designed puppets and visual sequences for stage productions and collaborative projects with other directors and companies.
Touring and collaborations
Katkatha productions led by Roy have been presented at theatre and puppetry festivals in India and internationally. She has collaborated with artists and institutions abroad, contributing to the wider exchange between Indian puppet traditions and contemporary global puppet theatre.
Significance
Roy is regarded as one of the leading figures in the revival and reinvention of puppetry in India. Her practice has contributed to expanding the audience for puppet theatre beyond children's programming, and to building institutional support and training opportunities for younger puppeteers in the country.
Related topics
References
- Wikidata entry: Q19609610