Art & Culture
Drama
The Natya Shastra of Bharata was the world's first and most comprehensive treatise on drama. India boasts the world's oldest and richest theatre tradition, dating back at least 5000 years. The origins of Indian theatre can be traced back to the country's ancient rituals and seasonal celebrations. With the introduction of "curtain" in the kushanas era, drama grew in popularity.
Preeminent playwrights such as Bhasa, Kalidasa, Shudraka, Vishakadatta, Bhavabhuti, and Harsha produced a huge harvest of Sanskrit drama over the first century. This corpus of work compares to the dramatic output of other strong theatre traditions around the world, such as ancient Greek theatre and Elizabethan theatre, in terms of range and power. With the first millennium, the brilliance of ancient Sanskrit play faded.
Traditionally, the theatre was made up of three parts: the auditorium, the stage, and the backstage area behind the stage. The stage and backstage are separated by a curtain. The play was staged without any props or decorations. The actors did a lot of acting and gestures. The use of costume and make-up was regulated by convention in order for roles to be easily identified. A hero, a heroine, a villain, and a "vidushaka" (comedian) appeared in almost every genre of theater. The majority of the themes revolved around love.
The drama usually begins with a benediction song, which is followed by a prologue in the form of a dialogue/discussion between the main actor and his actress, in which the title, nature, and purpose of the play are explained. It was banned to perform violence or death on stage. A last verse—a virtual vote of thanks—was delivered at the conclusion of the play.
THEATRE OF MUSIC
KASHMIR BHAND PATHER (JASHIN)
• a one-of-a-kind fusion of dance, music, and acting
• For eliciting laughter, satire, wit, and parody are preferable.
• Because the actors are mostly from the farming community, the imprint of their way of life, ideals, and sensitivity is noticeable.
HARYANA – SWANG
• Initially, the talks were primarily centered on music; however, prose began to play a role in the dialogues as well.
• Two important styles are Rohtak and Haathras, in which Haryanvi (Bangru) is used in the Rohtak style and Brajbhasha is used in the Haathras style.
UTTAR PRADESH – NAUTANKI
• The most popular centers are Kanpur, Lucknow, and Haathras; the meters utilized in the verses are Doha, Chaubola, Chhappai, and Behar-e-tabeel; and women have recently begun to participate.
RAASLEELA RAASLEELA RAASLEELA RAASLEE
• entirely based on Lord Krishna stories
• It is thought that Nand Das authored the first plays based on Krishna's life; • literary conversations blended brilliantly with songs and scenes from Krishna's pranks.
GUJARAT – BHAVAI
• Instruments utilized include the bhungal, tabla, flute, pakhaawaj, rabaab, sarangi, and manjeera, among others. • There is a rare synthesis of spiritual and amorous themes.
BENGAL JATRA
• Fairs in honor of gods, as well as religious rituals and ceremonies, include musical performances known as Jatra.
• Because of Chaitanya prabhu's influence, Krishna Jatra became popular.
• Earlier versions of Jatra were musical, with dialogues added afterwards.
• The actors themselves define the scene change, the action location, and so forth.
ASSAM BHAONA (ANKIA NAAT)
• There are cultural glimpses of Assam, Bengal, Orissa, Mathura, and Brindavan.
• The story is told by the Sutradhaar, or narrator, first in Sanskrit, then in Brajboli or Assamese.
MAACH – MADHYA PRADESH
• Maach is used for both the stage and the play, and songs are featured prominently in between the lines.
• Bol is the phrase for dialogue in this style, while vanag is the term for rhyme in narration.
• Rangat is the name given to the music used in this type of theatre.
MAHARASHTRA – TAMAASHA
• The female actor is the primary exponent of dance moves in the play, which emerged from folk styles like as Gondhal, Jagran, and Kirtan. Murki is her nickname. Dance allows all emotions to be expressed through classical music, lightning-fast footwork, and passionate gestures.
KONKAN AND GOA – DASHAVATAR
• Personify Lord Vishnu's ten incarnations, the god of preservation and creativity. Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narsimha (lion-man), Vaman (dwarf), Parashuram, Rama, Krishna (or Balram), Buddha, and Kalki are the ten incarnations.
• The Dashavatar performers wear masks made of wood and papier mache in addition to stylized make-up.
KRISHNATTAM – KERALA
• Krishnattam is a cycle of eight plays played for eight consecutive days, which began in the middle of the 17th century A.D. under the patronage of King Manavada of Calicut.
• The plays are Avataram, Kaliamandana, Rasa krida, kamasavadha, Swayamvaram, Bana Yudham, Vivida Vadham, and Swargarohana. • The episodes are centered on Lord Krishna's birth, childhood pranks, and numerous deeds representing victory of virtue over evil.
MUDIYETTU – KERALA
• It is observed throughout the month of Vrischikam (November-December). It shows the triumph of goddess Bhadrakali over the asura Darika. • Narada, Darika, Danavendra, Bhadrakali, Kooli, and Koimbidar (Nandikeshvara) are all heavily made-up figures in Mudiyettu-Shiva.
THEYYAM – KERALA
• 'Theyyam' is derived from the Sanskrit term 'Daivam,' which means God, and is thus known as God's dance. • It is performed by different castes to pacify and worship spirits.
• distinctive features – vibrant outfit and awe-inspiring headgears (mudi) that stand approximately 5 to 6 feet tall and are fashioned of arecanut splices, bamboos, arecanut leaf sheaths, and wooden planks that have been dyed in a variety of vibrant colors with turmeric, wax, and arac.
KOODIYAATTAM –
• It is based on Sanskrit theatrical traditions.
• Characters in this theatre form include: Chakyaar (actor), Naambiyaar (instrumentalists), and Naangyaar (women's parts).
• The protagonists are the Sutradhar, or narrator, and the Vidushak, or jesters.
• The dialogues are delivered solely by Vidushak.
• This dance and theater genre is distinguished by its emphasis on hand gestures and eye motions.
KARNATAKA – YAKSHAGAANA
• The most popular episodes are from the Mahabharata, such as Draupadi swayamvar, Subhadra vivah, Abhimanyu vadh, Karna-Arjun yuddh, and Panchavati, and from the Ramayana, such as Raajyaabhishek, Lav-kush Yuddh, Baali-Sugreeva yuddha, and Panchavati.
TAMIL NADU – THERUKOOTHU
• There is an eight-play cycle based on the life of Draupadi, which is primarily performed at the annual temple festivals of Mariamman (Rain goddess) to ensure a plentiful harvest.
• The Sutradhara, Kattiakaran, provides the audience the substance of the performance; Komali entertains the audience with his buffoonery.
HIMACHAL PRADESH KARYALA
• Deals with serious life and death issues succinctly and with simplicity of phrasing and diction, all wrapped in humour.
• There is often stylistic variance, which reinforces their identity from Swang, Nautanki, Bhagat, and others. • The audience is given the essence of our cultural legacy of viewing the world as a stage and an unsubstantial pageant to be negotiated and lived by rising above it.