Modern Indian theatre

Tagore, Bharatendu, Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh, Badal Sircar, Girish Karnad and leading practitioners.

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Pioneers

  • Rabindranath Tagore: wrote symbolic, poetic plays such as Dakghar (The Post Office), Raktakarabi (Red Oleanders), Visarjan and Raja; also dance-dramas like Chitrangada.
  • Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850–1885): father of modern Hindi literature and theatre. Plays: Andher Nagari, Bharat Durdasha, Satya Harishchandra. He used satire to comment on society and colonial rule.
  • Jaishankar Prasad: Hindi historical plays such as Skandagupta, Chandragupta and Dhruvaswamini.

Post-independence playwrights

  • Vijay Tendulkar (Marathi): Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (Silence! The Court Is in Session), Ghashiram Kotwal, Sakharam Binder and Kamala.
  • Mohan Rakesh (Hindi): Ashadh Ka Ek Din (about Kalidasa), Lehron Ke Rajhans and Adhe Adhure.
  • Badal Sircar (Bengali): wrote Evam Indrajit and developed the Third Theatre, an inexpensive, intimate theatre performed in open spaces or rooms without a proscenium, close to the audience. Michhil (Procession) is a well-known Third Theatre play.
  • Girish Karnad (Kannada): Tughlaq, Hayavadana, Yayati, Naga-Mandala and Tale-Danda; he used myth and history to explore modern questions.
  • Dharamvir Bharati (Hindi): Andha Yug, set at the end of the Mahabharata war.

Leading practitioners

  • Habib Tanvir: founded Naya Theatre and worked with Chhattisgarhi folk actors; famous for Charandas Chor and Agra Bazar.
  • Ebrahim Alkazi: influential director of the National School of Drama.
  • Prithviraj Kapoor: founded Prithvi Theatres (1944).
  • Ratan Thiyam (Manipur, Chorus Repertory Theatre), K. N. Panikkar (Kerala, Sopanam), B. V. Karanth, Shombhu Mitra (Bohurupee) and Utpal Dutt.
  • Safdar Hashmi: street theatre with Jana Natya Manch.
  • The Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), founded in 1943, linked theatre to social and political causes.

Key points

  • Bharatendu: Andher Nagari; Tagore: Dakghar, Raktakarabi.
  • Tendulkar: Ghashiram Kotwal; Mohan Rakesh: Ashadh Ka Ek Din.
  • Badal Sircar: Third Theatre, Evam Indrajit.
  • Girish Karnad: Tughlaq, Hayavadana; Habib Tanvir: Charandas Chor.

Common mistakes

  • Assigning Ghashiram Kotwal to Girish Karnad; it is Tendulkar's.
  • Confusing Badal Sircar's Third Theatre with street theatre of Jana Natya Manch.

Practice questions

Andher Nagari, a satirical play, was written by:Easy
Which playwright wrote Tughlaq and Hayavadana?Easy
Ashadh Ka Ek Din, a Hindi play centred on the life of Kalidasa, is by:Medium
A director rejects the proscenium stage and performs plays in rooms and open spaces, close to the audience and with min…Medium
Charandas Chor, performed with Chhattisgarhi folk actors, is the best-known production of:Hard
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