If you grew up watching Sisimpur, you probably still remember Tuktuki. Wearing her signature green frock, she became part of almost every Bangladeshi's childhood. Sayma Karim is the girl behind that unforgettable character. Her voice and performance gave Tuktuki life and personality.
For more than two decades, Sayma Karim has brought puppets to life with her skill and creativity. She now performs in the United States, but her connection to Bangladesh remains the same as before.
She introduces the world to Bangladesh's culture and stories through the performance. And each puppet here is a silent ambassador of Bangladesh.
In 2004, Sayma began her lifelong journey into puppetry by joining Sisimpur, where she took on the iconic role of Tuktuki.
She remained with the show for 15 seasons. During that period, she portrayed Tuktuki and also developed other characters. To her, puppets are not merely toys to make children laugh; they are tools to address social issues and bring about change. She has used puppetry in awareness campaigns, educational plays, and documentaries to help everyone understand diverse complex social issues.
Her passion for puppetry grew even more while working with Sisimpur. She also began training young puppeteers to improve their skills.
A big milestone came in 2018 when she attended the Sesame Street International Puppeteers Workshop in New York.
She used her experience from this to build her own company, Puppet Tuppet, and thus expanded her creative work. She created puppet-based content for other television channels to entertain and educate young audiences.
Bringing Bangladesh to the American stage
Sayma never left her art behind. She now works as a professional puppeteer with the prestigious Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre. She has had to adapt to a new country and a different theatre style, which has brought many challenges for her. Still, the support and guidance of her mentors, Bonnie Stein and Vit Horejs, helped her find her place on the international stage.
She has since performed at several well-known venues across New York, including the Old Stone House in Brooklyn, La MaMa, El Jardin del Parasio, and the Theater for the New City.
A cultural ambassador with strings
Sayma and her puppets have become ambassadors for her homeland. She penned the character Dusto Bagh (The Naughty Tiger), in one of her earlier script and featured it as a puppet named Titli. She represented and introduced Bangladesh's diverse culture, natural beauties and the history of the liberation war to a global audience through Titli.
She also wrote and performed a show about Bangladeshi fruits at Great Small Works and the Annual Lungs International Theatre Festival.
This show introduced international audiences to local Bangladeshi fruits and their Bengali names, proudly showcasing the national flag and anthem.
More than just 'entertainment'
Many people see puppetry as just entertainment for children, but Sayma Karim's work proves it is a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy.
Through a single puppet, a nation's history, language, and traditions can travel thousands of miles.
Today, Sayma stands as a proud yet graceful representative of Bangladesh. On international stages, her puppets continue to share the rich stories and heritage of her country with the world.
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