The colors add to the aesthetic enjoyment of viewers who may be watching the show from the back of the screen instead of the front, where only the shadows are seen. Based on Hindu epics, the puppet show stories capture themes of good versus evil, morality and politics. Today, the puppet tradition remains strong, although the art is evolving by incorporating modern political themes and colloquial jokes. They carry the religious and moral weight of their traditions, serving as the major religious text of that part of the world. Although the puppets portray a simplified version of good and bad characters, the stories are complex and spoken in an archaic language.
Audiences are still able to comprehend enough of the speech in order to enjoy the tales.
It's like opera. You don't translate it. It's written and performed in Italian because the language has a special sound. It creates an exceptional mood. The characters range from the humorous to the outrageous.