Bengali theatre

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A scene from Nabanna.
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Bengali theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Bengali language. Bengali theatre is produced mainly in West Bengal, and in Bangladesh. The term may also refer to some Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people.

Bengali theatre has its origins in British rule. It began as private entertainment in the early 19th century.[1] In the pre-independence period, Bengali theatres played a pivotal role in manifesting dislike of the British Raj. After the independence of India in 1947, leftist movements in West Bengal used theatre as a tool for social awareness. This added some unique characteristics to the art form that still have strong effects. These groups differentiate themselves ideologically from commercial Bengali theatre.[citation needed]

Types

Play Tohar Gaon Bhi Ek Din staged by Sreejansena group

The many theatres in West Bengal can be broadly divided into Kolkata-based theatres and rural theatres. Outside Bengali-speaking areas, the term "Bengali theatre" primarily refers to Kolkata-based groups, as the rural theatres are less well-known. The two types are similar in form and content, but the Kolkata-based theatres are better funded and staffed. This is mainly due to the influx of expertise from rural areas to Kolkata in search of a larger audience.[citation needed]

There are also Bengali

folk theatres. There are many dialects of Bengali spoken in West Bengal
and Bangladesh. The larger Bengali theatres use the dialect spoken in Kolkata, Bengali folk theatres have performances in some of the other Bengali dialects.

There is another category of Bengali theatre called

Radha-Krishna. But at present, it has been modernized to feature crisis through stories.[2]
Many popular Bengali film artists participate in Jatra.

Padatik (established 1972) under Shyamanand Jalan, who started with Anamika in 1955.[3][4]

Following the

the subcontinent and Middle East, glorifying past Muslim rulers as well as the history of the Pakistan Movement.[5]

Natyaguru Nurul Momen's maiden play "Rupantor" and 2nd play Nemesis (Momen play) ushered in the Bengali nationalism in Bengali theatre; which imbibed Bengali nationalism in the theatrical & cultural fields and eventually, that led to the independence of Bangladesh
.

Music

The late 19th- and early 20th-century theatres had their own

tappā songs by Nidhu Babu.[1]

Notable people: West Bengal

Notable people: Bangladesh

Notable theatre groups: West Bengal


References

  1. ^
    OCLC 19624659
    .
  2. LCCN 2012044258
    .
  3. ISBN 0-87745-961-4
    .
  4. ^ Ahuja, Chaman (29 October 1997). "Calcutta,home to Hindi Theatre". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011 – via Centre for the Study of Culture and Society Media Archive.
  5. OL 30677644M
    . Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Katha-Karnabhar Play". 8th Theatre Olympics. National School of Drama. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Bengal Repertory | Samarthan". Samarthan. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Theatre of West Bengal.
  • Bengali stage, 1795-1873, by Brajendra Nath Banerjee. Published by Ranjan Pub. House, 1943.
  • Bengali theatre, by Kironmoy Raha. Published by National Book Trust, India, 1978.
  • The story of the Calcutta theatres, 1753-1980, by Sushil Kumar Mukherjee. Published by K.P. Bagchi, 1982.
  • The Bengali Drama: Its Origin and Development, by P. Guha-Thakurta. Published by Routledge, 2001.
    ISBN 0-415-24504-4. Excerpts
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