https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=5.132.219.147Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]2026-09-06T13:02:19ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bengali_theatre&diff=108346Bengali theatre2021-06-28T10:53:02Z<p>5.132.219.147: /* Notable people: Bangladesh */</p>
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<div>{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}} <br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}<br />
{{more citations needed|date= May 2010}}<br />
[[File:Nabanna Bengali theatre scene.png|thumb|A scene from ''[[Nabanna (drama)|Nabanna]]''.]]<br />
{{Culture of Bengal}}<br />
'''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 theatre]]s which are accepted by the Bengali people.<br />
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Bengali theatre has its origins in British rule. It began as private entertainment in the early 19th century.<ref name="kundu">{{cite book |last=Kundu |first=Pranay K. |year=1988 |chapter=Development of Stage and Theatre Music in Bengal |editor-last=Banerjee |editor-first=Jayasri |title=The Music of Bengal |location=Baroda |publisher=Indian Musicological Society |oclc=19624659}}</ref> 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|date=May 2010}}<br />
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==Types==<br />
[[File:Tohar Gaon.jpg|thumb|Play ''Tohar Gaon Bhi Ek Din'' staged by ''Sreejansena'' group]]<br />
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|date=May 2010}}<br />
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There are also Bengali [[Folk culture|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.<br />
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There is another category of Bengali theatre called [[Jatra (Bengal)|Jatra]], which is run commercially in rural [[West Bengal]] and Bangladesh. This traditional Bengali theatre form is mostly performed by travelling troupes. The most prominent characteristics of Jatra are melodramatic contents and presentation, exaggerated expressions and movements, and an extensive use of traditional musical instruments. Jatra originally explored subjects concerning the tales of [[Radha-Krishna]]. But at present, it has been modernized to feature crisis through stories.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bhattacharjee |first1=S. |last2=Thomas |first2=C. J. |year=2013 |title=Society, Representation and Textuality: The Critical Interface |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVC8kgEACAAJ |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-81-321-0953-2 |lccn=2012044258}}</ref> Many popular Bengali film artists participate in Jatra.<br />
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[[Hindi theatre]]s which are accepted by the Bengali people include the productions of ''[[Rangakarmee]]'' (established 1976) directed by [[Usha Ganguly]], and productions by ''[[Padatik (Indian theatre group)|Padatik]]'' (established 1972) under [[Shyamanand Jalan]], who started with ''Anamika'' in 1955.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dharwadker |first=Aparna Bhargava |date=2005 |title=Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India Since 1947 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLQaz-12Eo8C&pg=PA401 |publisher=University of Iowa Press |page=440 |isbn=0-87745-961-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ahuja |first=Chaman |date=29 October 1997 |title=Calcutta,home to Hindi Theatre |url=http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/advertise.nsf/%28docid%29/70B426B140A9AA74652569420029534A |newspaper=The Hindu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725211658/http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/advertise.nsf/%28docid%29/70B426B140A9AA74652569420029534A |archive-date=25 July 2011 |via=Centre for the Study of Culture and Society Media Archive |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref><br />
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Following the [[independence of Pakistan]] in 1947, religion-based nationalism was strong and affected the theatre in eastern Bengal. In [[East Pakistan]] (modern-day Bangladesh), playwrights emerged such as Ibrahim Khan (1894-1978), Ibrahim Khalil (b. 1916), Akbar ad-Din (1895-1978) and others. These playwrights would create plays related to the Islamic history of [[the subcontinent]] and Middle East, glorifying past Muslim rulers as well as the history of the [[Pakistan Movement]].<ref>{{cite Banglapedia|article=Theatre|author=Zillur Rahman John}}</ref><br />
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==Music==<br />
The late 19th- and early 20th-century theatres had their own [[Bengali music]].<ref name="kundu"/> This form was pioneered by [[Girish Chandra Ghosh]]; the era of Bengali theatre before him laid the groundwork, and after his death Bengali theatre music became more experimental.<ref name="kundu"/> During the era of Girish Chandra, all stage-plays included some form of traditional Bengali music, and dancer-singers who performed before and between the acts. Mythological plays would have [[Kirtan-anga]] songs, epics would include indigenous styles such as [[khyāmtā]], and comedies and farcical plays often included [[tappā]] songs by [[Nidhu Babu]].<ref name="kundu"/><br />
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==Notable people: West Bengal==<br />
* [[Ajitesh Bandopadhyay]]<br />
* [[Sisir Bhaduri]]<br />
* [[Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi]]<br />
* [[Bijon Bhattacharya]]<br />
* [[Kshirode Prasad Vidyavinode]]<br />
* [[Mohit Chattopadhyay]]<br />
* [[Utpal Dutt]]<br />
* [[Michael Madhusudan Dutta]]<br />
* [[Girish Chandra Ghosh]]<br />
* [[Debshankar Haldar]]<br />
* [[Dinabandhu Mitra]]<br />
* [[Manoj Mitra]]<br />
* [[Sambhu Mitra]]<br />
* [[Tripti Mitra]]<br />
* [[Shobha Sen]]<br />
* [[Soumitra Chattopadhyay]]<br />
* [[Dwijendralal Ray]]<br />
* [[Badal Sarkar]]<br />
* [[Rudraprasad Sengupta]]<br />
* [[Jyotirindranath Tagore]]<br />
* [[Rabindranath Tagore]]<br />
* [[Ramaprasad Banik]]<br />
* [[Kaushik Sen]]<br />
* [[Bratya Basu]]<br />
* [[Goutam Halder]]<br />
* [[Arun Mukherjee]]<br />
* [[Anirban Bhattacharya]]<br />
* [[Debesh Chattopadhyay]]<br />
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==Notable people: Bangladesh==<br />
* [[Abdullah al Mamun (playwright)|Abdullah Al Mamun]]<br />
* [[Abdul Kader (actor)|Abdul Kader]]<br />
* [[Abul Hayat]]<br />
* [[Abul Khair (actor)|Abul Khair]]<br />
* [[Afsana Mimi]]<br />
* [[Ahmed Rubel]]<br />
* [[Aly Zaker]]<br />
* [[Asaduzzaman Noor]]<br />
* [[ATM Shamsuzzaman]]<br />
* [[Azizul Hakim]]<br />
* [[Bijori Barkatullah]]<br />
* [[Ejajul Islam]]<br />
* [[Enamul Haque (actor)|Enamul Haque]]<br />
* [[Ferdousi Mazumder]]<br />
* [[Golam Mustafa]]<br />
* [[Hridi Haq|Hridi Haque]]<br />
* [[Humayun Faridi]]<br />
* [[Jayanta Chattopadhyay]]<br />
* [[Khairul Alam Sabuj]]<br />
* [[KS Firoz]]<br />
* [[Laila Hasan]]<br />
* [[Litu Anam]]<br />
* [[Lucky Enam]]<br />
* [[Lutfun Nahar Lata]]<br />
* [[Malay Bhowmick]]<br />
* [[Mamunur Rashid]]<br />
* [[Masud Ali Khan]]<br />
* [[Momtazuddin Ahmed (dramatist)|Momtazuddin Ahmed]]<br />
* [[Munier Choudhury]]<br />
* [[Nasiruddin Yousuff]]<br />
* [[Nazma Anwar]]<br />
* [[Nazmul Huda Bachchu]]<br />
* [[Natyaguru]][[Nurul Momen]]<br />
* [[Sara Zaker]]<br />
* [[Saleh Ahmed (actor)|Saleh Ahmed]]<br />
* [[Shabnam]]<br />
* [[Shahiduzzaman Selim]]<br />
* [[Shamima Nazneen]]<br />
* [[Shanta Islam]]<br />
* [[Sikandar Abu Zafar]]<br />
* [[Selim Al Deen]]<br />
* [[Subhash Dutta]]<br />
* [[Suborna Mustafa]]<br />
* [[Tamalika Karmakar]]<br />
* [[Wahida Mollick Jolly]]<br />
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==Notable theatre groups: West Bengal==<br />
* [[Bohurupee]] Kolkata, India<br />
* [[Bratyajon]] West Bengal, India<br />
* [[Indian People's Theatre Association]] (IPTA) and its branches<br />
* [[Nandikar]] Kolkata, India<br />
* [[Chetana (theatre group)|Chetana]] Kolkata, India<br />
* [[Swapnasandhani]] Kolkata, India<br />
* [[Sansriti]] Kolkata, India<br />
* [[Bengal Repertory]]<ref name="8ththeatreolympics">{{Cite web |url=http://8ththeatreolympics.nsd.gov.in/en/play-single.php?ids=174 |title=Katha-Karnabhar Play |website=8th Theatre Olympics |publisher=National School of Drama |access-date=2018-08-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://samarthan.in/ngo/bengal-repertory/ |title=Bengal Repertory {{!}} Samarthan |work=Samarthan |access-date=2018-08-07}}</ref><br />
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==Notable theatre groups: Bangladesh==<br />
* [[Abayab Nattyadal]]<br />
* [[Anannya Nattya Goshthi]]<br />
* [[Anushilan Natyadal]]<br />
* [[Bahurupi Natya Sangstha]]<br />
* [[Nattokendro]]<br />
* [[Padatik Nattya Sangsad]]<br />
* [[Nandimukh]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|2}}<br />
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==Further reading==<br />
{{Commons}}<br />
* ''Bengali stage, 1795-1873'', by Brajendra Nath Banerjee. Published by Ranjan Pub. House, 1943.<br />
* ''Bengali theatre'', by Kironmoy Raha. Published by National Book Trust, India, 1978.<br />
* ''The story of the Calcutta theatres, 1753-1980'', by Sushil Kumar Mukherjee. Published by K.P. Bagchi, 1982.<br />
* ''The Bengali Drama: Its Origin and Development'', by P. Guha-Thakurta. Published by Routledge, 2001. {{ISBN|0-415-24504-4}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PnIh1m-gHf8C&pg=PA46&dq=Bengali+theatre&lr=&as_brr=0#PPP1,M1 Excerpts]<br />
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{{Bengali Theatre}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bengali Theatre}}<br />
[[Category:Bengali theatre| ]]<br />
[[Category:Culture of West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Theatre in India]]<br />
[[Category:Theatre in Bangladesh]]</div>5.132.219.147