The Art Of Silence: How Kunal Motling Is Blazing A Trail For Homegrown Mimes

Words aren't always necessary to communicate. This statement may feel baffling but the beauty in the art of mime is contained in this statement. Humans have existed long before they learned to utter words. Acting and dancing came much before words. Then came paintings and drawings, which we are still discovering inside secluded caves and rock walls even today. So, it would hardly be a leap, if we trace the origins of mime to the dawn of humanity. However, mime was elevated as a performative art form during the glorious age of the ancient Greeks.

In our country, the art of mime also has a rich history dating back to ancient times. The art form, known as 'Angika Abhinaya', was an integral part of classical Indian dance and theater, where performers used gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to convey stories and emotions. Over time, mime evolved as a standalone art form, with notable contributions from artists like Jogesh Dutta and Niranjan Goswami. In contemporary India, mime has gained recognition as a powerful medium for social commentary and storytelling, with artists like Nandita Das, Girish Karnad and Uday Shankar.

Today we are going to delve into the life of a talented homegrown mime artist, shedding light on his life, artistic journey and contributions to the field of mime. Born in 1989 in Mumbai, Kunal Motling’s childhood was not a smooth ride as he struggled with his studies owing to a learning disability. Like most Indian families, his parents could not comprehend or pinpoint the reason for their child’s disinterest in studies and as a result, they often shunned him.

When Kunal came of age, he went to college and moved away from his family, as they could never understand him. He stayed with his maternal uncle, who lived about 10 km away from his family home. It was then that he went for dance auditions at a youth festival only to realize that the audition rounds were over. Only the selections for mime were open. Kunal grew up watching and admiring Charlie Chaplin and could relate to him. So, he thought of auditioning for the mime competition. Little did he know then, that this would change the course of his life and open new doors of creativity for him. Kunal not only got selected but went on to win the Gold Medal at the Youth Festival. Winning the competition was his eureka moment. The realization dawned upon him that he could express himself to the world much better without words and even the world understood him much better through this medium.

This was the starting point in Kinal’s journey as a mime artist. He was officially introduced to the art form when he enrolled in the prestigious Ramnarain Ruia College in Mumbai. He began taking extra sessions from the Director of the College, Mr. Bapee Das to hone his craft. It was he who directed Kunals’ first mime act and has been a mentor for him throughout his long-standing journey of mime. For Kunal, his Bapee Sir has been a guardian angel helping him blossom as an artist.

Kunal traveled all the way from Thane to Malad, with barely any money in his pockets as his family could not come to terms with him pursuing mime or any other extracurricular activities. They wanted him to trudge along the well-known path of focusing on formal education and getting a degree. He continued to train under Bapee Sir and later started attending a lot of workshops from renowned mime artists across India such as Adil Khan, Padmashree recipient Niranjan Goswami, and Astad Deboo to name a few. Kunal was then introduced to the commercial mime circuit by Bapee sir and that, coupled with his own talent, earned him several shows and events.

He slowly and steadily garnered recognition as a successful mime artist in the country. Kunal began to experiment with various methodologies within the art form. By 2014, he became a well-reputed mime artist in India and that was when he began working with children with special needs. It was at this crucial juncture of his artistic practice that he reflected back on his own childhood days and related with how his disabilities hindered his formal education. Since then, he has been working closely with the children, guiding them effectively and using mime as a therapeutic practice for children with special needs. This has resulted in a huge improvement in the lives of these children. Then, Kunal moved on to working with underprivileged children, children in shelter homes and juvenile justice centers. What I find most beautiful is how Kunal evolved his artistic practice to become the guide that he himself needed during his childhood.

At present, he performs for children, adults and for everyone who understands and accepts him and his art form. His vision is to make mime an inclusive art form by using all platforms to express and spread awareness about it. Today the child in Kunal, who was misunderstood and chided by his parents and society, looks on proudly at the man and artist he has become.

Watch Kunal's performance at Tedx below:

Follow Kunal Motling here.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

Naga Artist Thamshangpha Maku's Performance Art Intersects Culture, Connection, & Empathy

Farha Alam Blurs The Lines Of Visual Art To Create Stunning Multifaceted Artworks

How Mandi House Is Preserving Delhi's Rich Heritage Of Theatre and Performing Arts