Ahmedabad: Artist who brought puppets to life no more

Ahmedabad: Mahipat Kavi, who celebrated his 96th birthday on March 30, passed away less than a month later and the city mourned the loss of a master puppeteer who gave the art an identity and dignity. The literary and performing arts fraternity in the city paid homage to Kavi, who received Padma Shri three years ago for his contribution to art.His family members confirmed that Kavi passed away early on Saturday. He did not have any major health issues but had reduced his food intake and other activities for the past few days. His wife Leela, a fellow puppeteer, passed away about 12 years ago, and he is survived by his three children who are also active in puppetry. Manvita Baradi, a city-based urban planner and theatre personality, said that Kavi's contribution to the art of puppetry is immense. "With my father (Hasmukh Baradi), he used puppetry for social communication and dissemination of social messages in the early days of television," she said.