Saima Karim, Tuktuki of Sisimpur, gets award

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
Everyone knows Sisimpur’s ‘Tuktuki’. Bangladesh and South Asia have created this character on the advice of Sesame Street.

‘Tuktuki’ is that Sisimpur’s popular character. Performs as ‘Tuktuki’ and directs the ‘Tuktuki’ puppet who is Saima Karim, a popular television and stage personality of the country.

Recently Saima Karim has been awarded from the national level. Bangladesh National Society of Puppets and Muppets awarded her.

While sharing her feelings after receiving the award, Saima Karim told this correspondent, “See, my soul has a connection with ‘Tuktuki’.

I act in this character and I direct this puppet myself. I’ve been doing it for over a decade. So, when one is rewarded for performing in the character of one’s soul, it is added.

I feel more proud of myself. Another thing is that any kind of respect is encouraging, national level honor is more respect, more motivation.”

About working with Puppets and Muppets as an actress director, Saima Karim said, “When I was working on the stage, I once saw many limitations of people, many things cannot be said to them.

But it is possible to say anything with a puppet. Consistency of the society, mistakes – all can be shown with a puppet. So, I was interested in working with puppets.

While working on the ‘Tuktuki’ of Sisimpur, I saw that I was able to take the puppet to a very strong place. These puppets teach children-teenagers educational information as well as socialising.

These characters and ‘Tuktuki’ are working as friends of children and teenagers. This character was created for Bangladesh and named ‘Tuktuki’.

But the original names of these characters were Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar, Grover, Cookie Monster, Arny, Abby and Fozi.”