K. CHINNA ANJANAMMA
Akademi Award: Puppetry (Tolu Bommalata), Andhra Pradesh

Born in 1957 in Dharmavaram, Andhra Pradesh, Shrimati K. Chinna Anjanamma belongs to a family of traditional puppeteers. She was initiated into the art of Tolu Bommalata — the shadow puppet theatre of Andhra Pradesh — by her father Shri Sinde Narayanappa and her mother Shrimati Santhamma. She was then only four years old.

Shrimati Anjanamma has acquired proficiency in all aspects of the practice of Tolu Bommalata. Her skills cover the making of puppets — cutting, punching, and painting the large figures — besides manipulation and narration. She has entertained rural and urban audiences in Andhra Pradesh, and besides performed in festivals elsewhere in India. In 2004, she participated in the International Puppet Festival in Tolosa, Spain.

Shrimati K. Chinna Anjanamma receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contribution to the Tolu Bommalata puppet tradition of Andhra Pradesh.