Anupama Hoskere is an Indian puppeteer based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, known for her work in reviving and presenting traditional Indian puppetry, particularly the string puppet (sutradhara) tradition. She is a co-founder of Dhaatu Puppet Theatre, an organisation dedicated to the practice, performance and teaching of classical Indian puppet arts.
| Name | Anupama Hoskere |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Known for | Indian puppetry, string puppet theatre |
| Associated organisation | Dhaatu Puppet Theatre |
| Base | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
Hoskere works within the broader landscape of Indian traditional performance, drawing on regional puppetry styles such as the Karnataka string puppet idiom. Her practice combines design, fabrication and performance, with productions often based on episodes from the Indian epics and Puranic literature.
Through Dhaatu Puppet Theatre, Hoskere has been involved in producing full-length puppet plays, training younger practitioners and organising public programmes that introduce audiences to puppetry as a classical theatre form rather than only as a children's entertainment. The repertoire associated with her work includes adaptations of stories from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other traditional sources, performed using hand-crafted wooden string puppets, costumes and stage settings designed in keeping with classical conventions.
Her efforts also extend to documentation and outreach, including festivals and workshops that bring together puppeteers from different Indian traditions, contributing to the wider conversation around safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in India.
Indian puppetry encompasses several distinct regional forms, including string puppets of Rajasthan and Karnataka, shadow puppets of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, rod puppets of West Bengal and glove puppets of Odisha and Kerala. Practitioners such as Hoskere are part of a contemporary generation working to keep these traditions in active performance through new productions, training programmes and engagement with urban audiences.