The Beauty of Indian Crafts in Five Short Movies

Shabir Ali Beigh (1976-2017) was a National Award-winning Sozni embroider from Srinagar, in Jammu & Kashmir. The masters of this little known technique of heavy emboss-like embroidery can fit 500 stitches into a square centimetre of cloth, and may work for up to three years on a single piece.

Abdul Kalam is an artisan who has combined the mastery of his craft along with a great entrepreneurial spirit. He works from two locations: Mirzapur town, where his family lives, and Khamaria village, 8 kms from Bhadohi. The nearest airport is Varanasi, which is 65 kms from Mirzapur. He, therefore, has easy access to reach out to wider markets. He learned his skill from his 80-year-old father, who still spends his time weaving at home. 

Varanasi is well known for its different styles of weaving, created to obtain patterns termed as brocade. There is no marketplace for textiles, small or big, in India, that does not boast of the famous weaves of Varanasi. Varanasi brocades are sold from the smallest spaces in shops, not larger than a cupboard, to large high-end showrooms.

The leather puppetry of Andhra Pradesh is amongst the oldest shadow puppet traditions. It is a medium of entertainment, of sharing and transmitting folklore, and of communicating information and knowledge. Most leather puppets were, and continue to be, influenced by the social context around the artists.

The famed bell metal craft of Payyanur is an example of how traditional crafts are sustained through local practices and demand. The Sri Subramanya Swami Temple in Payyanur, in Kannur, is one link and focal point for this art form. The craft has been practised in Payyanur for several generations. The processes are dramatic, involving a number of workers and require strenuous manual efforts. It is the devotion and demand that keeps this art form alive.