Surojit Academy, located on the Assam Engineering College campus, celebrated World Puppetry Day on March 21 and World Mime Day on the same occasion, though it is officially observed on March 22. This year’s theme for World Puppetry Day was “Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and the Dreams of Puppets.”
The event featured a speech by Binita Devi, recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and director of Surojit Academy, on the role of artificial intelligence in puppetry. Abani Sharma, a leading puppeteer from Assam who has performed in India and Spain, was felicitated at the event. Dr. Kuldeep Patgiri, another Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee, attended as a distinguished guest.
Puppet and Mime Performances
As part of the celebrations, two puppet plays were staged:
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“Dui Bondhu” (Two Friends), directed by Dhruba Jyoti Kalita, using glove puppets.
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“Prakriti Ki Sikh” (What Nature Teaches), directed by Pranab Jyoti Rabha, using rod puppets.
The puppetry performances featured Kristi Rajbongshi, Palak Koiri, Hardik Sarma, Kaustabh Choudhury, Angarag Mohanta, Anshuman Das, Trishna Kalita, Pranab Jyoti Rabha, Arya Jibran, Adrika Choudhury, and Karishmita Talukdar as puppeteers. Hardik Sarma directed the music, while Dhruba Jyoti Kalita and Ganesh Boro handled lighting.
A mime performance titled “The Siren Bell”, directed by Debprateem Goswami, was also staged, featuring Kristi Rajbongshi, Hardik Sarma, Anshuman Das, and Kaustabh Choudhury as performers.
Sattriya Dance Performance
In the evening, a Sattriya dance performance took place under the direction of Sattriya dance guru Holi Ram Bora Bayan. Dancers Lani Kakoti, Arya Jibran, Hritika Kalita, Manshree Das, and Baibhavi Das mesmerized the audience with their artistry.
A Cultural Gathering
The event saw participation from students, academicians, artists, and cultural enthusiasts from schools, colleges, and universities. Dhruva Jyoti Kalita and Deepa Mahanta hosted the event, while Karishmita Talukdar delivered the vote of thanks.
Through this celebration, Surojit Academy successfully highlighted the significance of World Puppetry Day and World Mime Day, bringing these traditional art forms to life for an engaged audience.
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