Sutradhanka: - Puppets are manipulated with long strings in states of Rajasthan, Orrissa, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra pradesh. The costumes used generally belong to those seen in the folk theatre of a particular state. For instance, Orrissa Puppets, known as sakhe kundhei are dressed Gombe Yatta in the yakshagana mode. In Tamilnadu, the Puppets are operated by string and rodes and are called Bommlattoms. The string of each puppet are attached to an iron ring on the head of the puppeteer, which leaves him free to operate the puppets with his hands.

Rod Puppets:- Rod Puppets, known in west Benjal as putol novel are also dressed in the Tatra manner. Rod puppets one large in size and are fixed to heavy bamboo sticks which are fixed to heavy bamboo sticks which are tied to the Puppeteer’s waist.

Shadow Puppets: - Shadow Puppets ( chhayaputli) are the favourate form in Andhra Pradesh (locally known as thohu Bommalutta), Karnataka (Togalu combe Atta), Kerala (tholpava koothu)  and  Orrissa (Ravan Chhaya). Shadow puppets are flat fingers made from tanned hide and painted with vegetables dyes. They are illuminated from behind to that their shadow falls on a transparent cotton screen. The stories projected by Shadow puppets are generally taken from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Hand Puppets:- glove or hand puppet shows one most popular in Orrissa, Kerela and Tamilnadu. The free use of the puppeteer’s hand lends a rare strength and vitality to the movements of a puppet’s heal and arms and the wrist lends flexibility and power to a puppet’s body. Hand puppet’s one fashioned on Kathakali characters in Kerala and are played in almost the same manner. The musical accompariment is provided by musicians and a chorus of singers. In Orrissa, the gloved puppeteer squarts on the ground with a drum under his knee. He sings and beets the drum with one hand and with the other brings the puppets to life.

Nautanki: - The nautanki is a North- Indian folk drama from performed on an open and bare stage. It gets its name perhaps from the Charming Rani Nautanki of Multan whose young lover disguished himself as a woman to gain entry into her Chambers.

 Like other Indian folk drama forms, nautanki has simple dramatic structure comprising small units linked by a Ranga or Sutradhar, the narrator. The themes are divided from the ancient epics and from folklore the tale of Laila and Majnu, or the heroic deeds of Amar Singh Rathod and Sultana Daku.

Tamasha:- The tamasha is an extremely lively and robust from of folk theatre of Maharastra, going back to over 400 years. The most celebrated Patron of this folk form was Bajiraoll, the last of the Peshwar, who introduced professional women singers into it for  the first time. Another important development was the introduction of the jester, nicknamed songadya who acted also as the ‘master of Ceremonies’.

                        In the main, tamasha is pure commercial entertainment, with the star performer being the female artists who has to sing the favorite songs of the patrons as they shout out ‘Daulat Zinda’. It takes its name from the dholki, a cylin drical two sided drum, and its leading player is the shahir, the peoples poet.