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In this lesson, we'll explore the interesting and ancient history of Indian theatre. Learn about the Indian theatrical
art form through the classical, traditional, and modern periods including indigenous and Western cultural
in uences.
The earliest contribution to the Indian theatre, dating between 2000 B.C.E. and the 4th century C.E.,
comes from Bharata Muni, who wrote the 36 books of the Natyashastra. The Natyashastra
describes a theory of theatrical performance based on style and motion, rather than psychology.
According to Bharata, the god Brahma leads him to write the Natyashastra, and Bharata professes
that theatre stems from the gods and teaches about duty. The text encompasses all aspects of
production from theatre architecture to make-up to the performer's movements.
The Natyashastra de nes ten types of plays, and the two primary styles have 5-10 acts. The rst
main type is the Natakas, depicting historical stories of gods, demons, and royalty with sweeping
themes of the divine and mythology. These plays are likened to Aristotelian tragedy, but they end
resolving the cosmic order rather than tragically. The second major genre is the Prakarana,
focusing on invented stories of everyday characters leading their daily lives, not royalty or deities.
Prakarana plays are closely related to Aristotelian comedy.
Rasa, the idea of artistic experience described in the Natyashastra, pervades all Indian art forms
including theatre, writing, ne arts, and dancing. The term describes a positive feeling gained from
art by the audience, yet a key factor for rasa is awareness. A spectator must be conscious of what
he or she's watching, and not be lost in the moment. Rasa is divided into eight categories:
1. Shringara (Romance)
2. Vira (Heroism)
3. Raudra (Anger)
4. Bibhatsa (Disgust)
5. Hasya (Humor)
6. Karuna (Sorrow)
7. Adbhuta (Wonder)
8. Bhayanaka (Fear)
Later, scholars identify Shanti (Peace) as a ninth rasa, when referring to religious feelings.
Kalidasa is known as the pre-eminent Sanskrit playwright, writing between the third and sixth
centuries C.E. His three major works, including Malavikagnimitra (Malavika and Agnimitra),
Vikramorvashiya (Urvashi Won by Valour), and Abhijnanashakuntala (The Remembrance of
Shakuntala), depict stories of royalty and myth in old-world India. Kalidasa is often considered the
Indian Shakespeare.
However, Bhasa is the oldest Sanskrit dramatist to give us complete plays, writing around the
second century C.E. He has 13 surviving dramas, and the famous, ancient Indian epic poem, the
'Mahabharata', is the source for his rst six one-acts. In addition, Shudraka was a fth or sixth
century playwright known for a Sanskrit comedy, called Mricchakatika (The Little Clay Cart). An
adaptation of this play was produced in 1924 in New York and made into a movie entitled Utsav in
1984.
With the British in India, Western theatre styles including realism and life of the common man were
added to the Indian folklore theatre. A Bengali-speaking theatre company, formed in the 1830's,
veered from the traditional format in favor of a Western approach. Furthermore, a British company
was founded in Calcutta, and in their production of Othello in 1848, Indian actor, Baishnab Charan
Auddy, actually became only the second man of color to portray the character of Othello.
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