Featured Puppetry Projects and Custom Designs
From Coldplay's India tour to pioneering brand mascots, this collection showcases the range of my puppetry and ventriloquism work. See how I blend traditional craft with modern engineering to create characters that connect with audiences.
It was an absolute honor for my team and me to be selected by Coldplay's management to perform with our puppets during their historic India tour. We brought 'The Weirdos' puppet band to life on stage alongside Chris Martin for the song "Good Feelings" across five incredible shows.
I had the incredible opportunity to design "Vichaar Kar" (VK), India's first healthcare brand mascot, for Sahyadri Hospitals. Here I am with the legendary actor Anil Kapoor, who co-stars with VK in "The AKVK Show," a series of videos where we make healthcare conversations engaging and fun.
For the Paani Foundation's Farmer Cup, my team and I built these 11-12 foot tall giant puppets. This one, representing Bali Raja, was part of a large-scale dance drama that told the story of the farmer's movement to an audience of over 7000 people. Creating puppets of this scale is a challenge I love.
We designed and created these realistic crocodile puppets for a YouTube promo for the Netflix film 'Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba'. This project involved detailed craftsmanship to build lifelike animal characters that could be operated by my team for the shoot.
The character Tatya Vinchu is an icon of Marathi cinema, a puppet my father first brought to life. In this video, the puppet itself speaks on its legacy, reminding everyone that while new trends come and go, he remains the original gangster of the puppet world. It's a character that is very close to our family's heart.
This is a glimpse of the vibrant and diverse puppets we create for large-scale stage productions. This Kathakali puppet, designed for the "Ardhavatrao 100 Not Out" show on Zee Marathi, showcases our ability to blend traditional Indian art forms with modern puppetry for television events.
I believe puppetry is a powerful tool for social change. Here, I collaborated with the Ghatkopar Police for a 'World No Tobacco Day' awareness campaign, using my puppets to engage with the officials and communicate the message of not becoming a puppet to addiction.
Passing on this art form to the next generation is a passion of mine. This video shows one of my workshops where I teach children the basics of ventriloquism and puppet making, helping them create their own characters and stories right here in my Mumbai studio.
About Featured
Every character I build starts with a conversation about personality, not just looks. Whether it is a 12-foot giant for a stage show or a delicate hand-puppet for a close-up camera shot, I treat each build as an engineering project that needs to move, breathe, and act. If you have a concept in mind, we can start with a simple sketch and prototype it right here in my Mumbai studio.
My work focuses on the intersection of storytelling and technical fabrication. I am not just creating a prop; I am creating a performer.
The Engineering Behind the Art
When I work on custom brand mascots or film puppets, like the ones I designed for Sahyadri Hospitals or Netflix, the process involves more than just sewing fabric. We look at the required mechanical range: does it need to blink, rotate its head, or manipulate objects?
My Approach to Projects
- Concept & Design: We begin with sketches to define the character's expression and traits.
- Fabrication: I mix old-school handcrafting with 3D printing and modern materials to ensure durability and realistic movement.
- Performance Readiness: A puppet is useless if it cannot move well. I ensure every piece is balanced for the operator, whether it is a hand-controlled puppet for social media or a complex animatronic for 4K filming.
Why Clients Choose My Studio
My studio in Chembur serves as the heart of these projects. Because I am a performer myself, I understand what a puppeteer needs on stage or on set. I do not just hand over a product; I ensure you understand how to operate it, or I can even perform with the character myself if your production requires that extra layer of professionalism. Whether you are a production house needing a realistic creature or a brand looking for a face for your campaign, I bring the same level of care to every commission.
Satyajit Padhye
I am Satyajit, a third-generation puppeteer and ventriloquist. I carry forward a family legacy, but I spend my days innovating with animatronics and custom character design for films and brands across India. I work out of my Mumbai studio, where I turn ideas into living, breathing characters.
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