Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival Concludes with a Powerful Tribute to Amrita Sher-Gil

The curtains came down on the 22nd edition of the Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival with a memorable closing day of performance, reflection, and celebration, reaffirming the enduring vitality of puppetry as a contemporary storytelling form. Held at the India Habitat Centre, the festival brought together artists, audiences, and traditions from across the world in a vibrant exchange of imagination, craft, and cultural memory, presented by Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust and produced in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, the festival continued its commitment to sustaining puppetry as a living art that honours tradition while embracing innovation and contemporary expression.

This year’s programme featured a dynamic range of international and Indian productions that reflected the breadth and evolution of modern puppetry. Highlights included the visually immersive Korean performance Doong Doong Alert by Culture Art Bakery FFWANG, directed by Hwang Seokyong, alongside diverse works exploring material, movement, and narrative form. The opening was also marked by a special commemorative stamp release by the Department of Posts, honouring India’s rich and varied puppetry traditions across multiple classical techniques.

Performers from around the world contributed to the vibrant international spirit of the festival this year, with artists from Albania, Bhutan, Italy, Korea and Turkey participating and sharing their distinctive puppetry traditions and contemporary practices with audiences in New Delhi.

The festival concluded with “Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life Lived,” presented at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, one of the capital’s premier cultural venues, designed and directed by Dadi D. Pudumjee, the production offered a deeply engaging exploration of the life and legacy of Amrita Sher-Gil, one of the most influential figures in modern art. Blending puppetry, live action, music, objects, and visual projections, the performance traced her journey across cultures and geographies through letters, artworks, and personal reflections. Institutional support came from the Hungarian Cultural Centre, the Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts Foundation, and the National Gallery of Modern Art, reflecting the collaborative spirit that shaped the production.

Founder of the Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival, Dadi D. Pudumjee, said, The Amrita sher gill, A life lived , concludes the 22nd Ishara international puppet festival at India Habitat Center. The world of puppets from India and abroad met audiences of Delhi,India posts released 8 stamps of traditional puppets of India on the opening day. Groups performed in Chandigarh’s  schools in NCR..the festival spreads peace and goodwill to all, welcome to the 23rd ishara international puppet festival in 2027

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, said, “The Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival has become a vital cultural platform that nurtures tradition while embracing contemporary expression. This year’s edition reflects our belief in building living cultural institutions that preserve heritage, encourage innovation, and foster meaningful global exchange. The tribute to Amrita Sher-Gil beautifully embodied this spirit of continuity and collaboration.”