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Theatre in India began with the Rigvedic dialogue hymns during the Vedic period, and Sanskrit drama was established as a distinct art form in the last few centuries BC. During the Middle Ages, the Indian subcontinent was invaded a number of times. This played a major role in shaping of Indian culture and heritage. Medieval India experienced a grand fusion with the invaders from the Middle East and Central Asia. British India, as a colony of the British Empire, used theatre as one of its instruments in protest. To resist, the British Government had to impose "Dramatic Performance Act" in 1876. From the last half of the 19th century, theatres in India experienced a boost in numbers and practice.

After Indian independence in 1947, theatres spread throughout India as one of the means of entertainment and one of the means of death. India, being a multi-cultural nation, cannot be associated with a unique trend and feature in its theatres. Presently, major threats to Indian theatre are the spread of the television industry and the spread of films produced in the Indian film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), known as "Bollywood". Lack of finance is another major trouble.

Contents

History of Indian theatre

Theatre in ancient India

Main article: Sanskrit drama

Indian drama dates back to the Rigvedic dialogue hymns in the Vedic period. Drama was later established as a distinct art form in the last few centuries BC. Bharata Muni wrote Natya Shastra (ca. 200 BC - 200 AD), a dissertation on the structure and purpose of theatre in society. Some of the most famous playwrights in ancient Sanskrit drama included Śudraka, Bhāsa, Kalidasa and Dandi.

Also see Classical Indian dance.

Theatre in medieval India

Theatre in India under British rule

Indian theatre after Independence (1947-1992)

Contemporary (post-1992) Indian theatre

Improvization

Improvization is a very new art form to India. Very few theatre groups and very few public performances have been done.

Notable theatres in India in different Indian languages and regions

Notable people

Ancient Age

Medieval age

Under British rule

After Independence (1947 onwards)

Notable theatre directors and writers:

Forms of Indian theatre

Classical Indian dance

The most orthodox and complex form of musical theatre based on the Natya Shastra.

Traditional Indian theatre

See Guru Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar, Mani Damodara Chakyar and Kutiyattam

Indian folk theatre

Modern Indian theatre

Modern Indian Theatre is a high tech affair, most of the Indian artists are trained professionals from international Universities and India too today has many world class theatre training organization. Though the Indian auditoriums have not embraced technology as swiftly, but the same is changing rapidly, One great example of technology put to use in Modern Indian Theatre is a comprehensively created portal Bangalore Theatre Guide, While Indian theatre is emerging on the international theatre arena, Bangalore Theatre is a precursor of things to come.

Indian puppet theatre

Indian street theatre

Other Indian theatres

Notable awards and festivals

Awards

Festivals

11TH NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL 2007

Comprising of 21 reputed Indian plays from 9 centres in 11 languages, presented over 14 days

This festival features traditional and contemporary plays, as well as adaptations of classical plays in several regional languages, English and Sanskrit)

From Kerala we have the privilege of having Sopanam again with the maestro Kevalam Narayana Panikkar coming with a Malayalam play Otta Mulachi and a Sanskrit classic in Kalidas’s Malavikaagnimitram. Aamchi Mumbai and Marathi boast of a duet, being Vijay Mishra’s local Choukatali Vihir, while Saish Deshpande’s Waiting Room comes from Panaji, Goa. This may well have been three if Waman Kendre had not decided to do his own adaptation of Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex in Hindustani this time, tilted Vedhapashya! Other Hindustani plays are Ekjute’s Romeo & Juliet, & Not to forget the remembrable performance of '8 Ghante' by Aakar Kala Sangam directed by Suresh Bhardwaj,Devendra Raj Ankur’s Hum Tumse Pyar Karega Kaun, Dinesh Thakur’s Mitr, Sunil Shanbag’s take on Mumbai mill workers, Cotton 56, Polyester 84, Suresh Sharma’s Kaafka – Ek Adhyay, Sanjay Sahay’s take on Nikolai Gogol’s Inspector-General titled Jaanch Partal coming from Gaya in Bihar and, quite significantly for this festival, Prasanna’s very own interpretation of Mahakavi Bhavbhuti's (also known as Bhavabhuti ) UIttara Ramacharitha.

Suren Thakar Mehul’s Mrutunjay is in Gujarati, Santanu Das’s Manush-Manushi in Bengali, Kewal Dhaliwal’s Loona in Punjabi and Chidambara Rao Jambhe’s Oh Lear in Kannada. Distance never being a problem for this festival, from the most eastern and least accessible part of India comes Baharul Islam’s Assamese offering Apeksha. Did we leave anything out? Yes, the Konkani play coming from Goa, being Kala Academy Goa’s Devchar Khelayata, Mogyank Melayta, an interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Jayendranath Haladankar.

Institutional aids in Indian theatre

Notable groups and companies

Notable productions

Notable stages

Notable theatre to films

Notable Indian theatre in foreign languages

Notable Indian theatre in other countries

Foreign plays and/or plots in Indian theatre

Problems and issues in Indian theatre

Finance

Theatre for poor versus poor theatre

Theatre versus television

Theatre for development in India

References

External links
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