A squeal of delight. A gasp of horror. And peals of laughter fill the courtyard at Phoenix MarketCity in Chennai, on Friday evening. For, dwarfing the crowd is a family of giant puppets: Karna, Kanchana and their half-tiger daughter Meenu. There is also Sheenaa, a young vagabond, who breezes across the space, dancing, ruffling a few heads, and unapologetically walking through cosy couples and other spectators. Performers from Chennai-based Koothu-P-Pattarai play drums in the background.
The puppets play the integral characters in A Twist of Fate, a production by Les Grandes Personnes, a collective from Aubervilliers in France that has been making giant puppets for over 20 years. This show is part of Bonjour India 2022 that celebrates 75 years of India’s independence, and Indo-French ties. It is organised by the French Embassy in India, Institut Francais, and Alliance Francaise India.
