WHILE children his age often spend their free time on video games, 10-year-old Nik Imanuddin Hadeef Nik Izdiharuddin devotes his hours to wayang kulit puppets.
Deeply passionate about the traditional art form, the young boy draws and carves the puppets, plays the accompanying musical instruments and voices the various characters during performances.
None of this was forced upon him. The interest grew from a school assignment roughly two years ago.
“I want to be a doctor, but I also want to play wayang kulit,” the youngster told Bernama at his home in Kampung Kubang Sipot, Kota Baru in Kelantan.
His talent was discovered by chance in Year Two when his science teacher asked the class to bring an object capable of casting a shadow.
The young pupil mentioned the project to his mother Nur Hazween Mohd Hasni, 39.
“I suggested that we make wayang kulit puppets to create the shadow,” said Nur Hazween.
Using cardboard, they crafted figures depicting characters such as Pohon Beringin for the lesson.
The exercise sparked Nik Imanuddin Hadeef’s curiosity.
“After I submitted the assignment, I went home and asked my mother to make more puppets.”
An enthusiast of Pak Dogol from the Hikayat Seri Rama tale, he considers the figure as the most impressive in the troupe.
“He can fight jinn and other huge creatures,” the youngster said, adding that he works at improving his movement of the puppet behind the white screen, adjusting his pitch and inflection to suit the plot.
He said altering voices was a primary hurdle for him.
“Every character has its own voice, which is part of its identity, and the puppeteer has to make sure the audience can distinguish each character just by its voice.
“For me, it is really difficult to switch from one voice to another,” he said.
He continues to practise under the guidance of Kelantan wayang kulit practitioner Kang Boon Ann, known as Che Ann, who founded Sri Cindayu Wayang Kulit Association.
Kang instructs Nik Imanuddin Hadeef in puppet manipulation, traditional instrumentation and the fundamentals of stagecraft.
The training led to the youngster’s debut performance in Tok Bali, some 50km from Kota Baru, alongside his mentor early last year.
“I was very happy because it was my first time performing in front of people,” the boy said, adding that it strengthened his resolve to refine his technique.
Nur Hazween said she had observed changes in her son since he took up the art.
“My son used to be shy, but now he is more confident.
“His interaction with people has also improved, including when he performs,” she said.
That assurance has encouraged Nik Imanuddin Hadeef to join storytelling competitions.
Nur Hazween believes some of that inclination may come from her own father, Hasni Mat Hassan, 74, a former arts lecturer.
Nik Imanuddin Hadeef’s interest has also prompted his father, 39-year-old ambulance driver Nik Izdiharuddin Abu Bakar, to explore the craft.
“Previously, we did not know much about wayang kulit.
“When he became interested in it, we started learning about it and exploring it together,” said Nik Izdiharuddin.
He noted the main difficulty for his son was balancing schoolwork with practice.
“The challenge is dividing his time between studying and wayang kulit,” he said, adding that he also reminds his son to focus on education.
“Children nowadays spend a lot of time on gadgets. They also have less exposure to traditional games.
“If schools could introduce and showcase traditional games to children, at least they would know about the heritage that we have,” said Nik Izdiharuddin.
The couple intend to support Nik Imanuddin Hadeef’s choice as he grows older.
“If that is his choice, we will support him,” said Nik Izdiharuddin, hoping his son could perform across more venues and contribute to preserving the wayang kulit tradition.
