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Manish

@manishruparel_

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devised theatre-maker, performer, filmmaker, babysitter, magician, clown, none of the above
@flyingfishartscollective

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Over the last two years of moving back to Bombay, of sowing seeds in different soils and of slowly forming connections with people who continue to expand my horizons, I’ve started to journey into yet another unknown.

I once did the night sea journey and found a sense of self towards the end of it. With that, I ventured into further unknowns to find a sense of a collective. As some of these seeds start sprouting, I am moved to create a space where these connections can be held and honoured. A space that can hold the absurd, playful, embodied, multidisciplinary and transpersonal work we like to do.

If you’ve been moved by anything I’ve done before, if you’ve felt curious about it, or just simply knew me at some point in time — come walk with me, as we leave the depth of the ocean to fly into the unknown skies together.

#flyingfish #midjourney #embodiedart #clowning #butoh #play by @manishruparel_

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9 months ago

Earlier this year, I started working on this really special project as part of my fellowship with @clownspirit_barnaby .

Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege to talk to some of the most special humans on this planet — to learn about their journeys and how they’ve sustained their clown practice in cultures where it wasn’t so popular. These clowns are doing some incredible work in their countries, and sending ripples of inclusivity, play and love our way through their work. I’m glad this interview series is finally coming out!

Please go follow their work, go for their upcoming shows and workshops and support the incredible journeys they’ve been on. The first episode is out now on Clown Spirit’s YouTube channel (link in bio).

The music for this series is by the most special clown friend @sma_shana 💗

#clowns #clowningaround #clowncore #rednose taken in Planet Earth by @manishruparel_

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a year ago

Moments from the Being AweFull workshop, with the loveliest people around who opened their hearts to this silly little clown journey 🚀

Thank you @lavanyaullas for these beautiful images! 🌼

#clowningaround #clowns #clowncore #rednose #workshop #physicaltheatre taken in One Design Studio by @manishruparel_

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a year ago

Tum haath uthao, hum haath badhaate rahenge

Bas dosti bani rahe 🙏🏾

📸 by @ghosh.junior @akshaykapoooor @vibhugroverr

#RollBackSIR #ArrestGyaneshKumar by @manishruparel_

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7 days ago

Excited for common ground this October!
Please dm the studio if you’re interested to join or if you’d like more details 💫

@melachi20
@manishruparel_
@rytash

Each bringing something to explore alongside them ♥️ we hope you’ll join us at the studio! by @manishruparel_

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a month ago

What is offensive and what’s not and to who and where and why and when and what?

We’re coming together to explore this and many more questions at the first International Clown Cult retreat in the strange and stupid lands and seas of India (Winner of Clown Olympics, 2026)

16th to 25th November, 2026.

Slide into our DMs and sign up now, no walk-ins allowed. by @manishruparel_

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a month ago

Second review in and yeah @manishruparel_ @fringereviewuk absolutely got the right end of the stick with this one. Really sweet to feel like the show is coming across as intended. Love to everyone who’s come along and changed in the unknown with me. 💕

8:40pm every night
At Teviot, Nook

@liebenspiel @rayegoldsby @lararicote @gildedballoon by @manishruparel_

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2 months ago

WHAT IS IT?
International Clown Cult (ICC) is a 10-day retreat for clowns and the clown-curious around the world to come together in the sacred and playful spirit of this art form which we share and love. It’s not a cult in the scary indoctrination sense, but a bunch of people devoted to clown. Clown as cult practice if you like.

Against a backdrop of escalating insecurity, war, fake news and the erosion of rights and freedom, we think that the ICC needs to unite, rest and play at imagining (and maybe create) a brighter
future. We are meeting in southern India to offer a space where clowns from around the world can meet with a growing community of clowns in India to deepen our collective practices, learn from each other and devise new ways to take this radically joyous spirit back to our communities.

Who is it for?
Clown identifying humans looking to bring clowning
deeper into their lives and communities. This retreat is not a taught workshop programme but as non-hierarchical a community of sharing practice as we can create. There aren’t separate indoor spaces for solo devising and studio creation, but there’s a big beach, the sea and the forest - all of which we invite to be our clown teachers for the duration.

Suggested daily plan:

6:30 - 8:30 : Sharing of physical practices (tai-chi, butoh, meditation etc.)

9:00 - 10:00 : Breakfast

10:30 - 13:00 : Exercises and play

13:30 - 14:30 : Lunch

15:00 - 16:30: Talking labs/Personal Time

17:00 - 19:00 : Creation time

19:30 - 20:30 : Dinner

Areas of clowning we are interested in playing with: Red Nose clown, clown as a deep listening practice, Bouffon/Tricksters, Shamanic/sacred clown, mask play, clown as activist, taking clown principles into different modalities

‘If you’re confused about what this is, think of it as a meditation retreat, but the meditation is clowning
’

Location:
The retreat will take place in a guest house by a big quiet beach in Honnavar, Karnataka, India.

Travel: Trains run from Mumbai (~12 hours) and Goa (~4 hours) to one of the stations close to the retreat.

DM for more details! We sadly don’t have funding for this edition but are trying to keep costs as low as possible. Image of devotees with red noses raising their hands to the sky. taken in Honnavar by @manishruparel_

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3 months ago

A very late but very important documentation of two wonderful days spent playing and researching the red nose with some of the loveliest people around ♥️

Thank you to @kharcomedyclub and @abishmathew for organising this and to @jitennnnn for these beautiful pictures!

May we keep researching and listening to the movements of humour and joy 🎈 by @manishruparel_

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4 months ago

Time to get serious about being silly.🤪

Spend your time learning the beautiful, chaotic art of clowning with Manish Ruparel during the ALTWEEK 02.

It’s 14 hours of play, physical comedy, and finding your unique funny & weird self😆

Date: 9th & 10th June 2026

Tickets link in our story & bio! by @manishruparel_

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5 months ago

The biggest joy of recent times was to dive into the world of these 11 children and be a small part of making the container that expressed their dreams. It’s been over a month since I finished the performance with them. Initially after I left, I’d get daily calls from many of them. Then weekly calls from some of them. Once one of them called me and told me stories of how kids get kidnapped in India. She expressed fear and concern initially. And then went on to tell me to be safe and not let myself get kidnapped xD. It’s been a while since they’ve called. We’ve all gotten busy with our lives. But I hope they know how much of them continues to live in me and I’m eternally grateful to have crossed paths with these innocent playful souls. I just saw a video of them doing a second show of this performance and I couldn’t be prouder!!!

Thank you @sankalp.vinyasa for trusting me with this process and inviting me to do this. You’re creating such wonderful gifts for the world! Thank you @stella.milou for recommending me, I love how all of this has unfolded. Thank you @aayushikapooranaam and @ashwarya.sh.09 for being the best people to do this with. I’m missing our daily rehearsals and our constantly search for the balance between structure and playfulness while working with these kids. Thank you @sanjana_foundation tor the inspiring work you do. Thank you @omkhamino and @marcmccay for the love and friendship you offered in this process. @vinyasa.earth is such a special place, I’m hoping these kids unite all of us again!

Let’s do Project Kalakar in Mumbai! taken in Vinyasa Earth by @manishruparel_

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7 months ago

A cursed mind, a funeral that couldn’t be, a love not taken away even by death, and a becoming of all that came before us. A small glimpse into Ankoku!

Come join us as we share our new butoh works with you for the first time in Mumbai!

Flying Fish presents
Ankoku: an evening of butoh inspired performances

Date: 7th March, Saturday
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Chimbai Village Theatre, Bandra (W) @chimbaivillagetheatre

Created and performed by Alarik, Manish Ruparel, Phalguni Vittal Rao and Tanvi Hegade with live music by Madhav Agarwal and lights by Prerana.

Limited seats. Book tickets with the link in our bio! by @manishruparel_

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7 months ago